Elfen Lied: Requiem of Annihilation
by BeowulfCaverias
Summary: Will Lucy ever find the peace she covets so desperately? Will she survive the onslaught of fire and death brough on by Chief Kakuzawa and her own murderous instinct and finally find peace with Kohta or will she sing the requiem of annihilation?
1. Chapter 1

Elfen Lied:

Requiem of Annihilation

by Beowulf Caverias

Chapter 1

Resurrection

"Kohta…I'm sorry," Lucy whispered, plummeting limply off the bridge into the bay. Cheers from the soldiers echoed in her ears while excruciating pain wracked her wounded body. The cool night air whipped her face as the approaching water loomed. Yet, inspite of her pain, a profound sense of relief came over her while bullets whizzed by her head. _Peace…I'll finally find peace,_ she thought. Darkness took her when she plunged into the briny deep.

"You can't die yet," a familiar icy voice echoed in the darkness. "There are too many humans still left to kill."

"No," Lucy returned. "I'm done…let me die in peace."

"You don't have a say in this," the voice retorted. "You have to go back and finish what you started. They have to die…all of them…starting with that boy."

Lucy's heart sank as she cried, "Never! I'll never kill him!"

The voice laughed scornfully. "You're such a fool! You still don't understand…I'm not asking your permission. He'll die with the rest of his filthy species."

Lucy suddenly found herself face to face with her dark diclonius alter ego again. She looked into her face with the most hateful grin, saying, "You're mine. You're done when I say you're done. That boy must die along with all his friends…especially that girl. Remember when you saw them together at the festival…how betrayed you felt? He will do that to you again and again. Kill him before he can hurt you again."

Lucy regressed to that night at the festival eight years previously. Young Lucy stared at a girl hugging Kohta. "But why…" she whimpered as feelings of betrayal rose.

Seconds later, a man knocked her down, growling, "Stupid kid, you're in the way!"

"I see…Kohta already has someone," young Lucy cried as the icy fingers of betrayal gripped her brain with cruel, sadistic pleasure, her words echoing down the halls of her tortured mind.

A phantasm of Kohta floated in her mind, saying callously, "That's right. There's no way I'd ever fall for a girl with horns sticking out of her head."

"Then Kohta, why did you…" she whimpered.

"It's like I told you at the zoo. I like looking at weird looking animals," he said, his tone filled with disgust for her and a sadistic smile on his face.

Young Lucy collapsed and wept until blood began dripping in front of her. When she looked up, Kohta's head was missing with blood spurting from the severed neck. The phantasm stood there with his hands on his hips and moved in on her, raving in Tomoo's voice, "You're not human, freak! This world was made for humans." Young Lucy jumped up and staggered back as the headless specter advanced on her. She stumbled and as the thing finished speaking, it dropped her dead puppy at in front of her. She cowered, covering her eyes and sobbing until it had gone, leaving the dead puppy at her feet. When she sat up, another voice came to her.

She looked and the girl who'd betrayed her at the orphanage stood there with her hands covering her face. "Stupid girl," the new phantasm railed. "You had faith in humans. But humans don't have to tell the truth to you." At that, the girl removed her hands from her face, revealing a gaping hole where her eye had been and a cruel grin on her face. Young Lucy's despair deepened into an abyss as her mouth hung open in utter horror…sobs bubbling up uncontrollably.

"No more…I can't take it anymore!" young Lucy wept. "No friends, no home…I have nothing now! I'm completely alone!" She puked from the stress of the loss, weeping hysterically. At that point, a figure with a bandaged head and one eye uncovered touched her, stroking her back gently. Young Lucy felt the contact and turned to the bandaged figure, backing away quickly, expecting another assault.

"You should have figured it out by now," the figure cooed, kneeling in front of her. "This world wasn't made for people like me."

With tears streaming, young Lucy asked, "So what should I do about it?"

"It's so simple," the figure said as the bandages fell away from her head, revealing young Lucy's face staring back at her with a cold smile. "All you have to do is remake the world. And I have more than enough power to make that dream come true." The figure reached out. "Choose…between cold shoulders, hateful glances, and a life in the gutter, or…"

Meanwhile, as young Lucy lay in the street, she heard a malicious man ranting, "Get out of the way, you dumb brat! I'm sick of you street trash! Go sleep in a dumpster or something!"

Another bystander said, "Look at that girl!"

Yet another said, "She's so strung out on drugs she's talking to herself."

"…or would you like to make this a home for yourself?" the figure asked.

"Kohta…" young Lucy whimpered, tears dripping.

"I told you to get off the street!" the man demanded as she got up. Seconds later, she took her hat off, revealing her horns. "Huh? What are those things?" the man asked, startled by the horns.

"Goodbye Kohta," young Lucy wept. "I really liked you." At that, she took the figure's hand. Seconds later, as her hat fell to the ground, the man and all the bystanders were ripped to pieces by young Lucy's vectors in an explosion of blood and body parts. Her eyes were cold and filled with hate as she set out to kill all of humanity, starting with the girl who was with Kohta. Lucy drifted back to the present, seeing dark Lucy staring into her face.

"Yes," she hissed at dark Lucy. "I remember it. But now I see things differently. There's only one left that I need to kill now and that's you…you bitch! You ruined my life more than the humans ever could!" She lashed out with her fist and dark Lucy easily caught it with a laugh.

"Stupid bitch…you really think you can kill me?" dark Lucy growled. "I'm your power! Look at what I gave you…a chance to remake the world where you wouldn't be hated, shunned, and tormented. Without me, you're nothing but a helpless little girl with horns. I guess I'll have to teach you a lesson to make you behave." Vectors sprung from dark Lucy's back and pummeled Lucy savagely. While being mercilessly beaten by her dark side, Lucy saw a flickering black flame within the head of her adversary. In seconds, she noticed the longer her adversary beat her, the weaker the flame became.

Lucy curled into a fetal position only to have her alter ego's vectors pry her out of that position, pulling her arms and legs until she was screaming in agony while hanging in the air. "Had enough yet, Lucy?" dark Lucy asked sadistically. "Are you ready to behave now or do I have to pull your arms and legs off like I did to Nana?"

Lucy's mind jumped to that moment when she stood over Nana in the cemetery. "Does it hurt now?" she asked Nana icily, slowly ripping her leg off with her vectors as Nana screamed, blood gushing from her severed limbs.

Lucy screamed as her dark ego pulled her arms until she heard them pop out of socket. "Are you ready to behave yet?" dark Lucy asked frigidly.

Then, in the moment of her greatest pain, Lucy became aware that she too had vectors…that they were not the exclusive domain of her dark diclonius self. A soft voice whispered in her ear, "Don't submit to her, Lucy. Take my power and free yourself of her. She's done nothing but corrupt you. Let me show you the true power that lurks within you. You can be free of this darkness and torment. Let the white fire free you, Lucy. Follow Kohta to your freedom." She felt a mysterious love in the voice she'd never encountered before…a love that went contrary to everything dark Lucy stood for.

"Yes…" Lucy replied through the agony of her torment. "Help me be free of her, whoever you are!"

"Splendid!" the voice replied. "Embrace the white fire and follow Kohta to your freedom."

In the self-same moment, Kohta's face floated before her eyes, saying, "I love you…please come back." Her eyes grew wide as a white flame appeared in her mind, giving her strength and power she never knew she possessed. The white flame first flickered, and then blazed, chasing away the shadowy demons of her mind and giving her a singleness of purpose…to protect the only one she cared about at all costs…Kohta.

"What?" dark Lucy cried in surprise when Lucy abruptly stopped crying and stared down at her with as much hate for her as she had for humanity. She saw the blazing white flame in Lucy's eyes and sensed another diclonius power emerging from Lucy. Lucy's vectors sprang from her back, six of them with a ten-meter reach. They sliced through her dark ego's vectors instantly, releasing her. Dark Lucy cried out in pain at having her vectors severed by this new power. "How's this possible?" she hissed, backing away.

Lucy crashed down and lashed out, roaring, "I don't need you any more! It's my life and you're no longer going to dictate it for me. I decide who lives and who dies, not you! You're no different from those worthless human shits who tortured and hated me. Die for what you've done to me, you bitch!" Lucy's new vectors reached out and tore dark Lucy apart in seconds. Her torso ripped in three pieces as her arms and legs went flying while her head sprang from its place like a spring-loaded toy. Blood gushed as the parts flew in every direction. Her head fell at Lucy's feet.

Dark Lucy's head glared at Lucy, hissing, "Seems I've underestimated you, Lucy. You've power even I was unaware of. But make no mistake. You may have destroyed this body but know that you'll never be free of me. You've a killer instinct that can never be vanquished and I'm that instinct. One day you will understand why you can never live among the humans. You'll never fit in with them, never. They will always hunt and persecute you because of what you are."

"Silence, you bitch!" Lucy snapped, crushing the head with her vectors with a sickening crunch, extinguishing the flickering dark flame there. "My killing days are done! I only hope one day Kohta can forgive me." Darkness swallowed her as peace came to her.

Suddenly, Lucy began choking, feeling water in her ears, nose, and mouth. Desperation filled her as she tried to flail her arms and legs in order to escape the watery doom crushing her. Yet, her arms and legs refused to move and she kept sinking, bubbles of air rushing past her face. Air blew out her mouth in great bubbles, only to have the burning seawater replace it. The last thought she had was the kiss and embrace she shared with Kohta on the stone stairs…the warmth and love she felt from it. In that moment, she knew where the white flame had come from. It was that very warmth and love for Kohta that awakened the new power in her and spawned the powerful flame that had defeated her dark ego. Darkness took her yet again as time suspended. She floated in the void, curled into a fetal ball. Soft noises echoed in her ears as she began to enjoy the weightlessness and peace of the void. Her dark ego wasn't there to torment her, neither were the faces and voices of those she'd slain. She felt warm and wanted in the void. _Finally, a place I can find peace,_ she thought. _I feel so good._

Yet, she felt a prick of regret as she remembered Kohta. While floating in the void, his face kept returning to her until tears began to flow. _How could I have hurt you like that again, _she wept. Her peace vanished as she became incredibly cold and wet. The noise rose in her ears, becoming a gurgling roar, and she felt like she was suffocating. In moments, she felt something solid underneath her as she heaved, spewing water and blood. Water washed about her as the roar became clearer. Lucy coughed and spewed more water and blood until the darkness faded away and consciousness returned. A wave crashed, washing around her as she opened her eyes, finding herself lying on her side in the surf on a deserted beach. A gurgling gasp escaped her lips as her eyes focused on the full moon hanging over the bay.

"I'm alive," she wondered as the waves licked at her like a faithful dog. "How?" In seconds, the pain of her wounds returned and she clenched her eyes shut, tears flowing. The bullet wounds burned like fire in the seawater. "Why am I still alive?" She suddenly remembered what her dark ego told her before she destroyed it and anger surged. Her strength grew with the anger as she pushed herself to a sitting position to get a good look around. Her teeth clamped together as a hiss escaped her lips from the pain. Her mind suddenly flashed back to the bridge…the ambush.

Thirty soldiers surrounded her on the bridge with machine guns. The leader of the SAT team shouted, "Open fire!" Bullets whizzed by her head as Lucy's killer instinct took over. Her vectors pounded the pavement, leaving handprints in the pavement as she flew into the closest line. Upon landing inside the line of soldiers, her vectors ripped them to pieces in seconds. "Kill her!" the leader shouted as blood sprayed on his face from a soldier ten feet away ripped apart. Lucy turned to him and jumped, again leaving two handprints in the bloody pavement. As she came down, a stray bullet knocked her other horn off. She saw stars and landed roughly at the leader's feet. A smile came over his face until her vectors punched into his chest, removing his heart. It floated in front of him as a look of shock crossed his face at seeing his own heart floating there, still beating.

"This is the end," Lucy hissed. Before he collapsed, her vectors split him down the middle from head to crotch in an explosion of blood. The flaming kiss of hot lead abruptly ripped through her side, and then her legs and arms. A shriek rose from her as she jerked from simultaneous hits. In desperation, she made one last jump over the side of the bridge to escape the soldiers; her vectors leaving two more prints in the bloody pavement. As she flew through the air, more bullets graced her with their stinging kiss until she began to fall limply toward the bay, having lost control of her vectors due to the pain. "Kohta…I'm sorry," she whispered, plummeting toward the water as the remaining members of the SAT team cheered.

_Lousy, worthless human scum!_ Lucy thought after remembering the ambush. _They'll pay for that, even if I have to go back to that island and destroy every last one on them. I'm not doing this shit any more. They want a war; they got it. I'll destroy all of them just to be rid of them!_

"Stop it! Stop it…no more, please…no more!" little Kohta's voice echoed in her mind. Her eyes grew wide, tears forming.

"I can't let you go knowing you'll kill people," Kohta's voice echoed in her head. "There's too much in my life I all ready regret. Besides, I loved that lonely little girl I played with all those years ago and Nyu…she's like no one I've ever met before."

"Kohta…" Lucy cried as she collapsed on the sand, the surf still washing around her. Tears gushed forth as she wept, her blood staining the sand and water crimson from the wounds she took in the ambush. "I love you, Kohta. Please forgive me."

An eerily familiar soft voice whispered in her ear, "Get up, Lucy. You must go home to Kohta. Get up. Don't let it end here on this bloody beach." Lucy raised her head and looked around, hearing the deep sound of rotor blades in the distance. "Get up, Lucy!" the voice urged. "They're still looking for you…hide, quick!" Lucy's eyes narrowed and she dragged herself across the narrow beach to the cover of the trees twenty yards away, using her vectors to help her move and erase her trail in the sand. The pain of movement set her nerves on fire. She stifled the shriek that lingered in her throat until she dragged herself into the dense undergrowth just off the beach. Branches of scrub trees and briars ripped at her, drawing blood, as she found a hollow in the center of the thicket, obviously a place where some animal had taken refuge. In seconds, she pulled the growth back and concealing her tracks with her vectors. When the shriek finally came out, it was no more than a low moan as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Kohta…" she moaned, curling into a fetal position. Blood oozed and stained her sanctuary as the helicopter came closer and closer. Her heart began to pound with the thumping of the helicopter blades.

"Sir…We have something here!" a soldier called out on the beach. Lucy froze, eyes wide with fear, and prepared to kill any who approached her sanctuary.

"What is it?" the squad leader asked.

"Blood, sir…Someone wounded came ashore here," the soldier replied. Lucy's vectors floated menacingly around her as she heard the soldiers. Her heart hammered in her chest, making her light-headed.

"We have tracks heading in this direction," another soldier commented as the helicopter hovered over the beach at a hundred feet…its spotlight shining down on the soldiers.

"Let's go!" the squad leader barked. "She can't have gotten far!" The soldiers raced up the beach followed by the helicopter…away from Lucy's position. Only when the soldiers had gone did Lucy relax.

In seconds, a terrible wave of nausea hit her…complicating her situation. Her belly cramped and her head spun and throbbed painfully. "Go home, Lucy," the voice echoed in her mind. She suddenly vomited blood and water…her whole body wracked by the intense pain of the spasm. Every nerve blazed and her wounds felt like fire. When the vomiting died down, the agonizing pain dulled her senses. A wave of intolerable dizziness slammed her and she managed to push away from the puddle of bloody puke before collapsing.

"Oh Kohta…" she moaned before passing out, her head swirling as if caught in a tornado. As darkness took her, the haunting tune of Lilium echoed in her mind, mixed with the sounds of the crashing surf.

Kohta wandered the empty streets well after midnight in shock…his blank expression a testament to the cruelty of Fate. Tears dripped down his cheeks and on his white shirt as he plodded down to the beach where he first met Nyu. He stopped at the base of the stairs and looked into the crashing surf…seeing Nyu's nude form standing there. His hand rose to his mouth as the phantom vanished in the mists that were rolling in. "Nyu…" he moaned, walking out onto the beach, heading north, stuffing his hands in his hip pockets. His mind and emotions warred with each other, ripping what was left of him to pieces. "Why?" he whimpered, sullenly trudging up the beach, dragging his feet in the sand. No one answered…only the surf. Two miles up the beach, he turned and walked out into the surf. The desolation of his soul was complete as he stopped knee deep in the water. "What point is there?" he cried, tears suddenly gushing forth. He fell to his knees and let loose a wail that rivaled that of any banshee from the pits of hell. His wail echoed through the night until he was spent, weeping uncontrollably as the surf battered him.

"What's the matter with you, stupid kid?" a gruff voice called out from the shore. Kohta cast a hateful, desolate glance in the man's direction, seeing a man in a heavy leather jacket, jeans, and combat boots. "Wait a minute…you're that brat who likes that fuckin' bitch with the horns!" the man hissed, pulling his heavy caliber pistol.

Kohta heard the action of the weapon and growled, "You're too late…they killed her."

The man splashed into the surf and pointed the gun at the back of Kohta's head, hissing, "What are you saying, you stupid shit? You'd better not be lying."

Kohta rose to his feet and turned to the man with the gun. He pushed his head to the barrel of the pistol and said, "Go ahead…do it. I know you want to. You did that first time we met on this beach and you still want to. Just tell me your name before you pull the trigger." His action surprised the man as he saw the look of utter desolation on Kohta's face…a look of such complete loss that life itself didn't even matter anymore. "Do it!" Kohta demanded.

"The name's Bandoh…you shit," Bandoh cursed. "I've hunted that bitch girlfriend of yours since that first night I found you with her. I've got a score to settle and now you're saying that someone else beat me to her?"

Tears drained down Kohta's cheeks as he remembered the terrible event. Standing on a bluff overlooking the 787 bridge, Kohta's heart sank into the abyss of despair as he watched Lucy slaughter a dozen of the soldiers. Pieces of the men flew in all directions as she dispatched them with cruel efficiency. "No!" Kohta choked as he saw her jerk from the bullets hitting her. As she flew over the side, he dropped to his knees, tears gushing when he saw her go limp and fall into the bay beyond his sight. "Nyu!" Kohta wailed, grasping his head with his hands and bowing his face to the pavement, bawling in excruciating grief.

When the flashback ended, he looked down the barrel of Bandoh's pistol and clenched his fists, crying, "Yes…they did. I saw it! Thirty of your soldier buddies gunned her down on the 787 bridge not five miles from here just two hours ago. Now either kill me or leave me alone with my grief!"

Bandoh's face hardened and he smacked Kohta across the face with the barrel of his pistol, drawing blood. Kohta felt the unforgiving metal connect with his skull, making him see stars as he crashed into the surf with a shriek. "Son of a bitch!" Bandoh cursed. "I don't believe it! I won't believe it until I see her corpse and have her eyes and arms! But you obviously believe she's dead. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so eager to die." Kohta looked up at Bandoh as he said, "As much as I would love to kill your sorry ass, I won't. Seeing you like this is much better than killing you could ever be. But make no mistake, if I find out you lied to me, I'll be back and I'll take my time with you." With that, Bandoh holstered his weapon and walked away, leaving Kohta lying in the surf with his desolation and a nasty gash across the left side of his head.

Kohta pushed himself to his knees as a large wave hammered him, rolling him ashore. His head stung from the seawater soaking his wound as he laid there on the sand with the waves rolling up around him. "Nyu…" he moaned, not caring if he ever moved from that spot again.

For an hour, he laid there in the surf, consumed with his grief and the trauma of what he'd seen a few hours previously when he learned who Nyu really was. "Kohta! Kohta!" voices echoed over the beach. They were faint and Kohta thought he was hallucinating because of his mental state. But the voices grew louder, "Kohta!" Soon, he was able to distinguish three different voices calling his name. But he didn't reply. He didn't want to be found.

"Kohta!" Yuka's voice cried out upon seeing him laying in the edge of the water. She came running, her denim skirt floating as she ran. Mayu and Nana followed closely, Mayu in her school uniform and Nana wearing shorts, a tank top, and Professor Kurama's coat.

"Kohta!" Yuka cried, dropping to her knees in the sand next to him. She rolled him over and saw the gash on his head and the worst look on his face she'd ever seen. "Kohta…what's wrong…what happened?"

Mayu and Nana watched as Yuka helped him sit up, seeing tears streaming from Kohta's eyes. "Kohta…please tell me what happened," Yuka insisted, "and why you are way out here this time of night? And where is Nyu? I thought she was with you."

Kohta's eyes grew wide as tears gushed. "Nyu's gone…gone," he whispered, trying to keep all his faculties together.

"What do you mean?" Yuka asked crossly.

Kohta suddenly pushed her away and shrieked, "I mean she's dead…that's what! Now leave me alone!"

Yuka was stunned as she fell on her butt from Kohta's shove. Mayu and Nana gasped, feeling an acute sense of loss at the news. Tears welled up in Mayu and Nana's eyes as they felt for Kohta. He sat there, weeping hysterically, hands in the sand. In moments, Mayu and Nana huddled around him and put their arms around Kohta from either side, trying to help him in his time of need. He weakly tried to push them away, but gave up, crying, "They killed her! I saw it…the soldiers! They killed her!"

Yuka saw his emotional state and felt a surge of both pity for Kohta and happiness that Nyu was gone. Now Kohta would be hers and hers alone. Yet, when she saw how Mayu and Nana tried to help Kohta, her jealousy flared again. However, within seconds, his grief reached her and tears welled up. She choked and reached out, embracing him, saying softly with tears, "I'm so sorry, Kohta. I know how much you liked Nyu. But you can't stop living because she's gone. She wouldn't want to see you like this. Please, we need you at Kaeda House. Come home. Besides, you're drenched and hurt and it's getting cold out here. You'll get sick like the last time. Please, come on…" She coaxed him to his feet with Mayu and Nana's assistance. "That's right. Come on…let's go home," Yuka cooed.

"Yes," Nana agreed. "Let's go home. It's not the same without you there, Kohta." With the sympathy of the three girls surrounding him, he succumbed and allowed them to take him back to the Kaeda House.

Meanwhile, at the Diclonius Research Institute, Chief Kakuzawa was wroth at the news he had just heard. "What do you mean you lost the body?" he roared into the phone. "I told you to bring the head and torso back! Scour the whole bay and shore! Lucy must be found…dead or alive! Keep searching!" He slammed the phone down and hissed, "The fools…morons…incompetent human scum! Why do I put up with them?" A thought hit him that made his face twist into a wicked grin as he looked out of the large window behind his desk. The lights of Kamakura twinkled in the distance. "Lucy is stronger and more resilient than I anticipated. Seems I've underestimated her. But I know her weakness now. She will come to me, given the proper persuasion." Kakuzawa looked down on his desk at a picture of Kohta. An evil gleam twinkled in his eye as he scanned the picture. "Once I have you, my pathetic Cro-Magnon boy, Lucy will be mine again and I can purge this failed species and claim my birthright as leader of the new humanity." A wicked laugh rolled out of his mouth and echoed around his office.

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A/N: I don't own anything associated with Elfen Lied and I'm not going to profit in any manner from this story, other than to entertain whoever may read it. Reviews are always welcome. Be honest, but kind. Constructive criticism is always welcome as long as it helps point the writer in the right direction.

A note on the story itself: as with all sequels, I look a little liberty in writing it. It's based on the anime but Lucy, Nana, Kohta, Yuka and the other characters are constantly growing and evolving…going beyond the original anime. A good example would be the fight between Lucy and dark Lucy where Lucy discovers dark Lucy isn't the only one with vectors. I won't spoil it for you by telling you everything. You'll just have to read and see for yourself. Just remember…Requiem of Annihilation is based on the anime. It's not the anime itself so keep that in mind. Also, several of the flashbacks I used are from the original series. I just wanted to give credit where it's due. I hope you enjoy the bloodbath. The blood is just beginning. More to come.

Beowulf Caverias


	2. Chapter 2 Haunting Memories

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Haunting Memories

"Papa…Papa!" Nana cried hysterically, reaching for Professor Kurama, who stood a few feet away cradling Mariko in his arms. "Please don't leave me, Papa!" Tears flowed from Kurama's eyes while he gazed into Nana's face. However, before Nana could touch him, he vanished with Mariko…Nana's hands passing through empty air where Kurama had just been. Tears poured from Nana's eyes as she abruptly found herself standing in front of the Buddha on the stone stairs wearing only Kurama's coat, seeing him and Mariko on the footbridge a half mile away on the bay. A few steps away stood the Institute scientist, Isobe, who'd activated the timer on the bomb implanted in Mariko's head. Nana's arms remained outstretched, tears dripping from her eyes as her heart sank into her feet. "No…" she gasped when an explosion consumed Kurama and his daughter. Nana fell to her knees, tears gushing. "He can't…he can't be gone! It's not fair…Papa!"

"You're the only one left…think of the reward!" Isobe crowed, training his pistol on Nana.

She looked at him with a gasp, seeing the pistol. Seconds later, his smug look turned to surprise when his head separated from his neck in slow motion. Blood gushed, splattering on the wall behind him. Isobe's body seemed to stand there forever before collapsing. Everything became hazy and ethereal to Nana; the whole scene slowly fading away as Lucy's face and voice echoed, "Greedy, foolish humans. They're worthless."

"No, they're not!" Nana sobbed. "Papa was…Papa was…"

Lucy's face vanished…her voice echoing in the darkness that swallowed Nana, "Go and live with Kohta in that house. I want you to do what I can't do…as much as I wish I could."

Nana's eyes opened and she abruptly sat up in bed. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It read 4:30 am. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pushed her prosthetic knees to her chest and clenched them, realizing she'd only had a bad dream. Soft sobs erupted from her while she buried her face in her knees, crying, "Papa…Lucy."

Meanwhile, in the thicket down by the bay, Lucy suddenly awoke with a gasp. The crashing of the waves echoed in her ears as the smell of her blood nauseated her. She rolled on her side, trembling violently while looking at her bloodstained sanctuary. Her vision fluctuated wildly; her head throbbing painfully. Yet, she could tell dawn was coming with the twilight glow from the east. "Kohta…" she whispered. A deep, rasping cough erupted from her, setting her nerves and wounds ablaze with pain. Blood rose in her mouth and she vomited it out, after which she gritted her teeth in agony. When the pain subsided to a tolerable level, rivers of tears flowed. "Oh Kohta," she wept. "…to see you just one more time."

Laying her head on the sandy ground, she sobbed quietly, tears running down her cheeks. Blood oozed from her mouth and the bullet wounds she received in the ambush. Her vision trembled as sweat beaded on her brow. "What am I going to do?" she whimpered. "I'm too weak to even get up from here, much less go home to Kohta. What am I going to do?" Desolation began filling her soul when she realized the thicket would most likely be her grave. Haunting laughter began echoing through her tortured mind…the laughter of mocking and hatred. It was laughter she was well acquainted with coming from her dark diclonius self…Dark Lucy.

"Now look at you," Dark Lucy mocked. "Where're your friends now? You're nothing without me and you know it!"

Lucy clenched her eyes shut and moaned, "Oh shut up! I'm not in the mood to hear your lies."

Dark Lucy laughed her to scorn, saying, "Lies? Lies? You're so naïve, Lucy. I never told you lies. I told you the truth when I told you that you'd never be free of me. You can't get rid of me any more than you can stop breathing. I'm a part of you and you know it. Though I must admit, you surprised me earlier. Where's that other diclonius that helped you? I've a score to settle with that bitch."

Lucy suddenly found Dark Lucy looking in her face with a scowl. Dark Lucy looked like someone had sewn her pieces back together. "Where's that bitch, Lucy?" she hissed. "I'm going to rip her apart just like you did to me!"

"I don't know," Lucy replied sullenly. After a lengthy pause, she added, "Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you, you stupid bitch. Now go away and leave me the hell alone."

Dark Lucy's eyes narrowed menacingly. "You DARE speak to me that way? I'll teach you to speak to me that way." Her vectors came out wrapped around Lucy like a snake, picking her up in the air. When they constricted, Lucy's eyes opened wide and a gasp escaped her lips, followed by a gush of blood. Every breath she took allowed Dark Lucy's vectors to get even tighter until she felt her ribs and bones cracking under the strain. "Where's that BITCH?" Dark Lucy roared. Lucy wavered, her heart pounding painfully.

"Nyu?" a voice called out, getting the attention of both Dark Lucy and Lucy. They looked, seeing a third avatar of Lucy standing a few feet away with large innocent eyes and a look of horror on her face.

"I was wondering when you'd come out, you worthless little rug rat," Dark Lucy hissed upon seeing Nyu. "I'll deal with you after I teach Lucy a lesson."

"Nyu…Run, Nyu!" Lucy gasped. "Get away, Nyu! She'll…kill…you…if you… AHHHH!" Blood began to dribble on the ground as Dark Lucy's vectors slowly crushed Lucy.

"Shut up, Lucy!" Dark Lucy snapped, squeezing even harder with her vectors. "She can't escape me any more than you can!"

"K…o…h…t…a…" Lucy gurgled, blood rising in her throat.

Nyu's eyes grew wide as she saw the sadistic cruelty of Dark Lucy. Suddenly, Nyu rushed in not knowing the danger, crying, "Lucy!" Before she could reach them, one of Dark Lucy's vectors slapped her brutally, sending her flying.

"Stupid infant!" Dark Lucy hissed. "You dare to challenge me? You don't even have vectors to fight with."

Nyu landed in a heap with a shriek. For a few moments, she lay motionless as Dark Lucy grinned wickedly. "Is that all you've got, Lucy…calling on that child you created when we were shot after escaping the island? What a disappointment."

When Lucy saw the hit to Nyu, she snapped and the white flame reappeared in her eyes. The gurgling moan grew into a roar of rage that even surprised Dark Lucy. "Nyu!" Lucy shrieked. Her vectors sprang from her back in an instant, leaving Dark Lucy's vector cocoon in shreds. Before she hit the ground, two of Lucy's superior vectors caught her while the other four pounded Dark Lucy in the head and chest, sending her flying. Dark Lucy started loosing cohesion from the hits, hemorrhaging pieces of her patchwork body while airborne.

After her vectors set her down, Lucy rushed to Nyu, rolling her over. "Lucy…" Nyu cried softly, tears running down her cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Nyu," Lucy sobbed, cradling her head and shoulders in her lap. Turning her head to Dark Lucy, Lucy's eyes narrowed as a growl rose from her toes. "You'll not touch Nyu ever again, you bitch!"

Dark Lucy staggered forward, missing her left arm and a third of her head with her brain exposed. Blood poured from the wounds as she laughed Lucy to scorn. "You still don't get it? You can't kill me! I'll always come back and I'll do whatever the hell I want to that infant!"

Lucy was about to pounce when yet another version of her appeared behind Dark Lucy. Lucy's eyes grew wide as the new avatar said icily, "She may not be able to, but I can." Dark Lucy wheeled around to see a seven-foot Lucy grabbing her by the throat, lifting her up. Dark Lucy gurgled as this new Giant Lucy pulled her nose to nose. "You're far too sure of your power to be saying Lucy can't kill you. You still don't understand that we're all part of her and she can dispose of any piece she doesn't like, including you."

Dark Lucy looked into the eyes of the Giant Lucy, seeing the telltale white flame there. "So…you're the one who ripped me apart before?" she hissed.

A smile crossed the Giant Lucy's face that sent chills racing down Dark Lucy's spine. "So you want to kill me?" Giant Lucy growled. "I don't think so. You're nothing but a spoiled brat and I'm not going to have you tormenting Lucy any longer."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Dark Lucy retorted.

"I'm the Queen!" Giant Lucy roared, raising Dark Lucy high in the air by the neck. "I'm the one who decides who lives and who dies!" She body-slammed Dark Lucy into the ground, shattering her body. Blood gushed from Dark Lucy's pieces, soaking into the ground. "In order for Lucy to survive, we must all work together and merge with her. She must know the truth of humanity. Thanks to you, she's only seen the bad side of humanity. She must now see the good side, and then decide how we must proceed as a race. As a queen of our race, it's her choice that will help decide the fate of our race…whether to exterminate humanity like you want or to spare them and become part of their world. You'll not interfere any more with her! If you do, I will make sure she has the power to purge your existence from her mind and soul. Now get the hell out of here."

Dark Lucy scowled and her shattered body crumbled to dust. "I'll be watching, Lucy…always watching," her voice echoed as her head blew away like a pile of sand in a sandstorm.

Giant Lucy approached Lucy and Nyu and knelt down in front of them. "Are you all right, Lucy?" she asked.

Lucy nodded, saying, "I guess so. Who are you really?"

"I'm you, Lucy, just as Nyu is you too, and even your dark counterpart," Giant Lucy stated with a smile. Lucy stared at her with a cross, suspicious look and Giant Lucy sighed, saying, "I'm a part of you that you've forgotten…the real you that you lost years ago. My name's Kaeda. I've watched helplessly as your dark self tormented you, setting your path in blood and tears. However, when you confessed to Kohta and confronted your dark counterpart after the ambush, I was finally able to help you. I know you love Kohta and I want you to know and experience that love. So does Nyu, right Nyu?"

"Nyu!" Nyu beamed. "Nyu love Kohta!"

"I know you do," Kaeda replied, patting her on the head as Lucy cradled the piece of her shattered personality that allowed her to connect to Kohta…the piece called Nyu.

Lucy looked at Kaeda, and then Nyu. "What's happened to me?" Lucy moaned, blood trickling from her wounds.

"Lucy…" Kaeda said, suddenly scooping her up. She cradled Lucy carefully in her lap as Nyu touched Lucy on the arm. Lucy stared in disbelief at Kaeda. "Lucy, your mind is shattered," Kaeda said softly. "We're all pieces of you. But you're the core, Lucy. You're the one who has the last say about everything. You created Nyu after escaping the Institute so you could be with Kohta without hurting him. However, your dark self and I have been part of you since the beginning. We're the good and bad parts of you distilled into distinct personalities because of who you are. Let me ask you something…do you remember your parents?"

Lucy looked blankly into Kaeda's face, saying, "No…only that they abandoned me as a baby because I was a freak."

"Oh Lucy…" Kaeda said softly. "You've endured such grief and pain. You've believed what people have said about you for so long. But they're wrong…dead wrong. You're not a freak. You're just as human as they are. Your parents were human, Lucy…full-blooded humans and that makes you human...a very special human, but human nonetheless."

"Yea…right," Lucy hissed with a scowl. "These horns say otherwise. Real humans don't have horns or vectors. They see my horns and despise me because I'm different."

"You don't need to tell me that," Kaeda replied. "I've experienced everything those hate-filled people did to you. But may I point out that you react the same way they do, except that you have the ability to lethally retaliate with your vectors. But they aren't all like that. Kohta isn't that way. Mayu isn't like that and neither was your mother."

"How do you know?" Lucy growled. "I have no memory of my mother."

"That's because of your shattered mind," Kaeda stated, gently caressing Lucy's hair. "The memory of your mother is sealed off because of the trauma of what you've endured. You see, I was sealed off as well until that night on the stone stairs with Kohta. You released me when you confessed and apologized to Kohta. The moment you felt he loved and wanted you in that embrace, I was freed. Thank you for freeing me so I could help. However, your memory of momma is still sealed up. I can help you remember her if you'll let me."

Lucy felt torn about the supposed memory Kaeda spoke about. "I don't know…" Lucy said softly. "Like I said, all I really know is they abandoned me. The children at the orphanage never let me forget it."

"I know," Kaeda replied. "Remember, even though I was sealed away, I did experience everything you did. I saw what they did to you and saw your descent into the darkness because of it. But I always held out hope that someday, you'd find your way out of that darkness and I was right. Kohta is your salvation and curse. He's your curse because of what you did to him. However, he's also your salvation because of his love for you inspite of what happened. The two of you are two sides to the same coin. You and he are forever bound to each other by what happened eight years ago. Momma would've wanted you to do exactly what you did on the stairs. She would've wanted you to be happy."

"You speak as if you knew her," Lucy whispered, thinking about Kohta. "How can I really know?"

"Let me help you remember her," Kaeda pleaded. "I can help you do that, but you'll have to trust me."

A sigh escaped Lucy's lips as the desire to know her mother grew. "Okay, I'll give it a shot. You did help me with my dark half, for which I'm grateful."

"Great!" Kaeda beamed. She suddenly looked at Nyu, asking, "Nyu…do you know your mother?"

Nyu gazed into Kaeda's face. "Nyu know momma? Momma…Lucy only momma Nyu know."

"You're so right, Nyu," Kaeda stated. "Lucy's your mother because she made you. But Lucy has a real mother, yet doesn't remember who she is or anything about her."

"Just what are you getting at?" Lucy asked pointedly. "I told you before…I never knew them…end of story!"

A sigh escaped Kaeda's lips as she caressed Lucy's hair. "Lucy…Don't be so ready to bite someone's head off when you don't get a quick answer or the one you like. I'm just explaining things to Nyu. She is just a little girl, remember. She's just as much part of your answer as I am.

"You see, just as your dark self knows the ways of the diclonius, so do I. Your dark counterpart only utilizes the destructive potentials of our kind to get revenge on those who tormented you. But as you've finally realized to your credit, revenge begets revenge and it'll only lead to the annihilation of humanity…human and diclonius alike. Listen to me, Lucy, even if we remake the world the way your dark self wanted, the humans would never allow it. They'd destroy themselves in an effort to kill us. They'd destroy the world rather than let us rise above them. You know this. This is the world your dark half wants…a world of chaos and utter destruction. A species cannot survive in chaos. It's just not possible. Chaos consumes and destroys everything, leaving nothing left. However, your dark self never looked close enough at our powers to realize what we're truly capable of. Yes, we're capable of great destruction. But on the other hand, we're just a capable of doing great good. Did you know that your diclonius power as a queen allows you to heal? Just as your vectors can penetrate into living tissue without harming it, it can repair damage done. For example, I recall an instance where you caused an aneurism in a girl by severing an artery in her brain."

Lucy remembered it vividly. The girl never did anything to her, yet when she passed by, her eyes went dark as she dropped dead on the sidewalk with a gasp. "I can't control it," Lucy moaned as her vector retracted into her back. She walked on without looking back. Tears welled up as she came out of her remembrance, looking into Kaeda's eyes.

"I see you remember it," Kaeda stated softly as Nyu gripped Lucy's hand. "In that instance, had you gone back, you could've repaired the break you caused with much more precision than any surgeon ever could and she would've lived. You can even repair the damage done in the ambush. However, you'll need help. Kohta's your help, Lucy. He'll help you. You can also retrieve lost memories. I know you don't know who your parents are, but I do. What I'm going to say you may not like, but you must hear it. Your mother loved you dearly and refused to part with you. However, she died a couple weeks after giving birth to you. Your father blamed you for her death because you weren't normal. That's why you were abandoned. He despised your existence and left you for the wild animals to devour."

Lucy's heart shattered. Her face told everything with a look of shock and rage. Her eyes grew wide as tears dripped from them. "Why are you telling me this?" she hissed venomously. "Why destroy what's taken me a lifetime to find?"

"I'm not destroying it," Kaeda replied. "The specter of your origin will destroy it only if you let it. Besides, I'm not finished yet. You're mother loved you dearly and believe it or not, you're named after her. Do you know what her name was, Lucy?"

"Kaeda!" Nyu chimed with a broad smile.

"That's right, Nyu," Kaeda replied. "Lucy's real mother was named Kaeda and so Lucy's real name is Kaeda."

"You're nuts!" Lucy balked, squirming to get away from Kaeda. "If my name's Kaeda, then why am I Lucy?"

Kaeda gently sat Lucy up and looked into her eyes. "Because this is the name the humans gave you. This is how they know you. However, you must believe that your mother loved you very much. Here, let me jog your memory." A single vector sprouted from Kaeda's back and gently penetrated into the folds of Lucy's brain.

Lucy's vectors reacted instantly, springing out menacingly, shoving Nyu aside. "What the hell are you doing?" Lucy demanded.

"Relax, Lucy…I'm just unlocking your past like I said I would," Kaeda replied. Before Lucy could respond with her vectors, Kaeda's vector retracted and Lucy gasped. A memory of her mother surfaced.

Lucy found herself looking up at her mother through the eyes of an infant. It startled her that her mother looked so much like she did. She felt so safe and secure in her mother's arms. "Such a beautiful girl, my Kaeda," Lucy's mother whispered to her. "I love you so much, Kaeda. I'll not let anyone take you away from me, no matter how strange you look." She kissed Lucy on the forehead and Lucy choked.

Sobs rose in her as she came out of her remembrance. "Momma…" she cried, looking into Kaeda's face.

Kaeda patted her on the back, saying, "It wasn't your fault, Lucy. Your mother loved you deeply. You were her treasure…the most important thing in the world to her."

Tears streamed down her cheeks as Lucy looked down, sobbing as she recalled the only memory of her mother. "Don't cry, Lucy," Nyu cooed. "Why you cry?"

Lucy looked up, seeing Nyu's large, bright eyes and Kaeda's sympathetic face next to her. "I don't know. I just can't seem to stop crying for some reason." Suddenly, the memory of her abandonment surfaced.

"Don't look at me like that, you little beast!" Lucy's father hissed. "You should've never been allowed to live. It's your fault Kaeda's dead!" Lucy looked up at her father through infant eyes, seeing his dark brown hair and eyes. His face was etched with sorrow, anger, and fear as he walked through the woods with her in his arms. Lucy whined as he shouted, "SHUT UP, you little devil! It's time for me to right a serious wrong." With that, he hurled the infant Lucy into a deep ravine. She briefly saw him walking away as she tumbled through the air. The spinning and falling made her nauseous until she hit the side of the ravine. Pain shot through her that elicited a piercing cry, which echoed through the forest. The infant Lucy tumbled down the steep slope, hitting rocks and trees until she came to a rest beside a large oak growing just above the bottom of the ravine. She wailed in pain until she exhausted herself, falling unconscious.

When the flashback faded away, Lucy's demeanor had changed. Her rage and hatred for humans flared as she hissed, "Why did he do that to me? I hope he rots in hell for what he did and if I ever find him, I'll send him there myself!" Tears of rage flowed from the memory as she turned her burning glare to Kaeda. "I wish you'd left the past buried so I couldn't remember it, Kaeda! I just remembered my dad throwing me into a gully in the woods and leaving me! He threw me away because I wasn't human!"

Nyu recoiled in shock at Lucy's venomous temper. Kaeda sighed with a troubled look. "Yes…he did, the bastard," Kaeda replied coldly. "It wasn't right. However, you can't let what he did to you ruin what you discovered about your mother. Not everyone is like him, or Tomoo, Kakuzawa, or even that soldier, Bandoh. Kohta isn't like that. Would you kill him in your rage over what your father did eighteen years ago?"

Lucy's anger froze. Shock crossed her face at Kaeda's words. Nyu moved in and knelt in front of Lucy…inches between their faces. "Please no hurt Kohta…no make Kohta cry again, Lucy! Please no make Kohta cry!" she begged.

Once again, little Kohta's voice echoed through her tortured mind for all to hear. "Stop it! Stop it, please! No more…you have to stop!"

Lucy's eyes grew wide as she heard little Kohta. Tears flowed down her cheeks. "Kohta…" she whimpered, her rage fading. "I must get back to him…we must get back to him."

A smile rose on Kaeda's face. "Yes…it's time to go home, Lucy," she said. Then, without a word, Kaeda's vectors emerged and touched Lucy's wounds. Lucy howled in pain as Kaeda's vectors pulled the bullets from her body. Nyu retreated with tears in her eyes as Lucy writhed in agony. "Just a moment more," Kaeda stated calmly, using her vectors to stabilize Lucy's condition. "There…this should help you get home. Listen to me, Lucy…Use your vectors to heal yourself. I've managed to stabilize your condition so you can get home to Kohta. But you're the one who'll have to do the healing. I've infused some of my strength in you to help you get home. If you need my help, just ask. And be wary of your dark side. She's lurking out there, waiting for your hatred to rise enough to allow her to act."

Lucy's mind fluctuated with the pain as she half-listened to Kaeda. "Want to go home now…" Lucy mumbled through her pain.

"Then by all means, go home," Kaeda encouraged.

"Go home to Kohta," Nyu chimed as Lucy found them fading away.

Moments later, Lucy found herself in her thicket sanctuary, lying on her side with the pain slowly ebbing away. The early morning sun penetrated the thicket, casting shadows around her sanctuary. Her fluctuating sight drifted around until it fell on her open hand, seeing six bullets laying there. "What're these?" she moaned.

_The bullets I removed from your body,_ Kaeda's voice echoed in her mind. _Now take my strength and get up. Go home to Kohta. He'll take care of you._

"Go home," Nyu's voice echoed in Lucy's ears. "Make Kohta happy…go home!"

A smile slowly crossed Lucy's lips as she clenched the bullets in her fist. Upon shifting position, she found her strength rising and the pain falling back to a tolerable level. Within moments, she sat up and touched the wound in her side. Pain flared, but the blood flowing from the wounds had all but ceased. _You can do it,_ Kaeda's voice chimed in Lucy's mind.

Lucy's face brightened with hope as she realized her sanctuary in the thicket wouldn't be her grave after all. "I'm coming home, Kohta…I'm coming," she whispered sincerely.

Kohta lay face down in his bed as the early morning sun peeked through his bedroom window. A groan rose from him when he rolled over. _What's the point,_ he thought. _Nyu's gone forever. I'll never see her again. _ He glanced at his clock, seeing 5:45 AM on the display. His head throbbed painfully. "Ugh…what a terrible night," he muttered, touching his head. When he felt a bandage there, his heart sank. "It wasn't a nightmare…it really happened." A trembling sigh escaped his lips as he pondered what to do. A knock came to his door. Before he could sit up, the door opened.

"Kohta…are you awake?" Nana whispered while peeking in, wearing a maroon nightgown that matched her eyes.

He struggled to sit up as Nana quietly entered, closing the door behind her. She rushed to his assistance, helping him sit up. When he focused on Nana's face, tears dripped out of his eyes. "What do you want?" he asked gloomily.

Nana knelt and looked into his eyes. Her lips quivered and tears flowed down her cheeks. "I had a bad dream," she whimpered, trembling all over.

"You're not the only one," Kohta murmured sullenly.

Nana abruptly hugged him, crying, "Don't leave us, Kohta. We need you…I need you. Lucy wanted me to live here and do what she said she couldn't, as much as she wanted to. Please, don't go."

Kohta forgot his grief for a moment, totally surprised by Nana's affection and confession of Lucy's last words to her. "I lost my Papa last night just before you lost Lucy. I don't want to loose you like I lost him," she cried.

Kohta hesitantly returned the embrace, saying, "I'm not going to leave, Nana. It's just going to take me time to deal with loosing Nyu."

"You loved her, didn't you?" Nana asked, settling back into a kneeling position in front of him, hands in her lap.

A sigh escaped his lips as he wiped his eyes. "Yes…I did," he admitted after a long pause. "I loved her, even though she was the one who killed my dad and sister."

Shock spread over Nana's face. "She killed your family and you still love her? How can you love the person who killed your family?"

Kohta shook his head. "I don't know. We were ten years old when it happened. But something happened last night I can't forget. Before she left me, Nyu apologized for killing Kanae and my dad. I begged her not to go but she left anyway. After she left, I realized that I really did love her, inspite of what she did to me. Maybe it was the remorse I saw in her or maybe it was my love of her back then before that terrible incident. Maybe it was Nyu and her innocence. I really don't understand it myself, but I've always loved her, even back then." Kohta suddenly glanced to the door, seeing it still shut. "Please don't say anything to Yuka. She just wouldn't understand. I don't want her to worry about me."

"I won't say anything," Nana replied with a whisper, looking into Kohta's face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as soft sobs rose from her chest. "Can I stay here for now?" she whimpered. "I don't want to be alone."

A troubled sigh rose from Kohta as he considered the request. "I don't know. Yuka may not take it the right way. She's way too jealous of me."

"Please…" Nana begged. "We can say I was just checking up on you. You were beat up pretty bad when we found you."

"Don't remind me," he growled as the melancholy returned full force. "Last night was the worst night of my life…even worse than the night I lost Kanae and my dad. I suppose if you, Yuka, and Mayu hadn't shown up on that beach, I'd still be down there."

Nana's mouth fell open as she began to grasp the depth of Kohta's wounded heart. "You would've stayed there forever?" she asked.

"At the time, yes," he replied despondently. "I didn't want to live."

She gasped. "You loved Lucy that much?"

"Yes…I did," he murmured. "But now she's gone forever. I watched those soldiers gun her down. Thirty-on-one wasn't very fair odds at all. By the way, do you have those same abilities Nyu had?"

She nodded, saying, "Yea…but I'm no where near as strong as Lucy. My arms are longer than hers are but not nearly as strong. I use them to move these fake arms and legs I got from my first fight with Lucy in the cemetery just up the road. I lost the fight and she ripped my arms and legs off." Nana pulled her prosthetic left arm off, laying it down in front of Kohta.

He gasped. "Nyu did that to you? Impossible! Nyu doesn't have a mean bone in her body," he retorted.

"It wasn't Nyu who did that to me," Nana returned, obviously still hurt by the experience. Tears rose in her eyes as she looked at the fake arm. "It was Lucy I fought with. I didn't understand until later that Lucy and Nyu are two different people in the same body. Nyu is as kind, innocent, and fun as Lucy is mean and dangerous. That night in the graveyard, Lucy was there, not Nyu. If Papa hadn't come at the last minute, I would have died. He saved me and gave me these arms and legs to use and set me free after the Director told him to kill me for failing."

"Why were you fighting Nyu in the first place?" Kohta asked.

"I was trying to get her to return to the Institute," she replied softly. "Papa sent me to find and bring her back. Unfortunately, I wasn't strong enough to do it and now I'm hunted like Lucy. But I've never used my arms to hurt anyone. I'm a good girl." The prosthetic arm suddenly floated back to the stump of her left arm and she flexed it and her fingers. "I just want to be happy. This is the first time I really feel like I have a family."

"Does Mayu know?" he asked, staring at her arm. She nodded and he said, "You shouldn't let Yuka know about them. Who knows how she'd react. It's better she not know, not yet."

"Are you sure?" Nana asked.

"Yep," he returned, wiping his tears away. A thought suddenly occurred to him after hearing how Nana spoke of her Papa. "Would you like to set up a little grave marker or something for your dad, or whoever he was, in the courtyard garden?" he asked. "I think I'm going to set one up for Nyu. Maybe we can put them together under the cherry tree?"

Nana's lips started quivering and tears gushed forth from her eyes. "You'd let me do that, Kohta?" she sobbed. He nodded, tears again streaming down his cheeks. Nana abruptly hugged him again, crying, "Thank you…I know they'll never do that at the Institute."

"I'm sure they wouldn't," he agreed. "Go back to your room and get dressed. We'll do it right now. I'll meet you outside in five minutes so we can pick the spot."

Nana nodded and left with a smile on her face. She quietly closed the door on the way out. Kohta sighed and held his head as it throbbed with each heartbeat. Slowly, he rose and got dressed.

Minutes later, he and Nana were standing out in the courtyard. Wanta…Mayu's little puppy, was still asleep in the doghouse. "Where will we put them?" Nana asked softly.

Kohta walked to the far side of the cherry tree…opposite of Wanta's doghouse and out of its reach. He stopped and stared, remembering how Nyu/Lucy loved to sit under the tree there. "We'll put them here. This was Nyu's favorite spot," he murmured in a distant, depressed tone.

"I like it," Nana chimed. "I hope Lucy doesn't mind being next to Papa. I seem to remember that she didn't like him, though she never actually attacked him."

"I don't think it'll matter," Kohta replied. "She's gone and isn't coming back…not after what I saw." He clenched his fist and looked at the ground trying to keep his composure and his stability. Tears flowed as he began to sway. "I think I should sit down," he stated. "I don't feel very well."

Nana helped him sit down next to the tree and sat beside him, saying, "I'm going to stay with you, just in case you need any help. Besides, I've never seen the sun come up like this before. I'd like to see it."

Kohta cracked a weak smile and patted her on the knee, saying, "Enjoy…maybe when I'm feeling a bit better, we can go to the stone stairs and watch the sun rise over the ocean."

"I'd like that," Nana cooed, becoming drowsy sitting under the tree. A feeling of contentment began pushing her grief away. Suddenly, she felt a faint twinge in her diclonius telepathy. She looked around, and then shook her head, muttering, "Naw…it couldn't be Lucy. Kohta said he saw her die and he wouldn't lie about that." Glancing at Kohta, she noticed he looked very pale and on the verge of falling asleep, like she. The cool morning air was moist with a very light breeze dancing though the trees. Yet, the sunlight was warm where it hit them…so pleasant that it put her to sleep in minutes.

Meanwhile, in the Diclonius Research Institute, Director Kakuzawa looked out the window in his office as Miss Suko Arakawa walked in looking like she'd just woke up. Her hair was haphazardly tied into a ponytail and her dress and lab coat just hung on her frame loosely. "Director…why did you get me up so early in the morning? I didn't get to bed until 2:30 this morning and I haven't even had time to shower," she whined.

Kakuzawa turned to her with icy glare. He walked to his desk and pulled his wig off, throwing it down. Arakawa felt an icy chill race down her spine as fear fell into the pit of her stomach upon seeing his two small horns. Kakuzawa stared at her with the look of a predator sizing up its prey. A sneer curled his lips as he touched a button on the side of his desk. The locks clicked on the doors to the office, sending Arakawa wheeling around. Her heart fell into her feet, fear racing and pulsing through her body.

"Miss Arakawa…" Kakuzawa said with a cruel smile, "…as chief of my staff, you're to come whenever I want, day or night. Too many things have gone wrong here recently. Lucy has proven to be much more resilient that I first thought. But she has a weakness and I know what it is now…thanks to you." He picked up the picture of Kohta and held it up as he walked up to her. "This is the boy who saw my son's body and has an attachment to Lucy. She killed his sister and father eight years ago." Desolation fell over Arakawa's face and Kakuzawa laughed cynically. "I know you tried to hide his identity from me. Did you really think I don't know what's going on inside this facility? I know everything about everyone here…including you, my dear."

Arakawa trembled as Kakuzawa threw the picture down, saying, "Seems shooting you didn't get my message across. Maybe something a bit more direct is in order to get you to behave."

"What're you going to do to him?" she suddenly demanded in a brief spurt of courage.

"He's nothing but bait to lure Lucy back here," he growled. "I already know where he is and have him under surveillance. Lucy escaped our SAT teams again and if she's still alive, I believe she may go back to that insect. When she does, we'll snare them both and bring them here. If she doesn't cooperate this time, I'll let her watch while we vivisect him."

Horror flashed over her face. "You monster…that's horrendous! Why would you do such a thing? He's just a boy!"

"That boy is nothing but an animal…that's all," Kakuzawa hissed. "Our kind is the one fated to rule this planet and I intend make that a reality. It's my right to guide this new humanity into a new golden age. However, before it can happen, the old age and its throwbacks must be purged in fire and blood. This world will burn and from the ashes, the new diclonius race will rise supreme! It's survival of the fittest…one of the oldest facts of evolution. Those who are not strong will be culled from the flock."

"You're insane!" she retorted, backing away toward the door.

He glared at her and she froze…panic setting in. Every muscle in her arms and legs refused to move, as if he had some power over them. Terror dripped off her as Kakuzawa approached menacingly. He relished and basked in her terror. "Not so…it's you who're insane by not accepting the change, which is inevitable. It's your fate, my dear. The change is coming whether you like it or not. The diclonius race is slowly building and when their numbers reach critical mass, the culling of humanity will begin. Only those humans who are strong enough will survive this chaos. Are you among that special group of the strong, Miss Arakawa? Will you be able to withstand the diclonius onslaught?"

He smile viciously as he leaned in and sniffed her face and neck, glorying in the fear he smelled rising off her. After sampling her scent, he looked her in the eye; his stare boring holes into her soul. "I have a confession, Suko. My plans for you include more than just having you run the Institute. I'm part diclonius…my genetic material watered down over generations of inbreeding with you humans. That's why I don't have any vectors. It's my goal to reverse that somehow so I can be pureblood diclonius again. That is why Lucy is so important. She must be found so I can breed with her to perpetuate my line and find the means to rejuvenate my diluted diclonius powers. My line must be perpetuated at all costs. And you, my dear, are here to serve me in all matters to make sure that happens. Serve me and you will not perish in the coming annihilation. But disobey me again, and I will make you one of my experiments where we find out whether a pure-blood human can be turned into a pure-blood diclonius."

Suko Arakawa closed her eyes and whimpered as he pushed her to the couch. "Do I make myself clear?" he asked icily, removing her lab coat.

She nodded, thinking, _What did I do to deserve this?_

"Good," Kakuzawa returned while pushing her down on the couch. "Now you must serve me. Just relax and enjoy it. I know I will."

Moments later as a guard patrolled outside of the director's office, Suko Arakawa's scream echoed through the door. The guard paused, turning to the door. He then shrugged and went on with his patrol, knowing better than to intrude on the Director.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: I must apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out. When I did the first chapter, I really didn't anticipate how well it would be received. However, thanks to those of you who wrote those amazing reviews, it spurred me to continue the story. I plan on not letting the next chapter take so long. As for the story, there are few more juicy tidbits revealed in this chapter that I think you'll like. Even though Dark Lucy got her butt kicked in the last chapter, she's not done yet. I won't spoil it for you. Just read on to find out Lucy's fate. I hope you like the surprises that are in store. Again, thanks for all the great reviews.

Beowulf Caverias


	3. Chapter 3 Wounded Hearts

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Wounded Hearts

"Kohta…" an eerily familiar voice echoed through the oppressive pall of darkness surrounding Kohta.

"Who's there?" he shouted, cold fear having gripped his soul while he spun around trying to locate the voice in the gloom.

"K…o…h…t…a…" the voice whispered in his ear from behind.

He turned around, only seeing more darkness and feeling his heart hammering in his chest as his fear and despair deepened. "Who's there…what do you want?" he cried. A light abruptly appeared in the distance and Kohta began running toward it.

"Where're you going?" another deep, gravely voice asked coldly.

"Away from here!" Kohta blurted out as he dashed toward the light.

"You can't escape the darkness of your own soul, human," the second voice hissed in his ear. "You and your kind will die…all of you."

"Shut up!" Kohta screamed. Upon stepping into the light, he was blinded and staggered to a halt, rubbing his eyes.

"Foolish human," the second voice whispered in his ear malevolently, its tone filled with utter hate and contempt for all life. "How can you…a mere human, even think you're capable of loving our Queen? How dare you contaminate our Queen with your corruption!"

"Who are you?" Kohta demanded again, fear sending violent, icy chills up and down his spine, making him nauseous while he hid his eyes from the light. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Makes no difference, insect," the malevolent voice snapped. "For that's all you are to us…insects…pests…vermin to be destroyed. How many times have you humans destroyed those who were different from you? Shit…you even kill each other over the stupidest of reasons and differences. Why should you and your kind be allowed to exist any longer? And I again ask you, insect, what makes you think you're capable of loving our Queen? Answer me, insect!"

Kohta abruptly opened his eyes and found himself chained to a wall in a laboratory next to a small girl of fourteen with horns, sitting in a pool of blood. Blood covered her from head to toe, oozing from numerous wounds all over her body. In the next moment, he discovered that both he and the girl were completely nude. A large cannon hung from the ceiling, pointed at them from the far side of the cavernous lab while high on the wall was a window with figures behind it, looking at them. "What the hell is this? Where am I? What's going on?"

"You're so ignorant, you pest!" the malevolent voice growled. Kohta could now see the voice coming from one of the figures behind the window.

"Shhh…be quiet, Kohta," the girl next to him whispered. "Don't say anything or they'll shoot again."

"What…" Kohta started to ask when the cannon went off. The noise split Kohta's ears, causing him to clench them with his hands as a large projectile came at him. Time slowed to a crawl as he saw the projectile flying toward him. A gasp escaped his lips as the girl stepped in front of him. He saw six shadowy arms emerge from the girl's back and reach out ten meters, deflecting the bullet away from him. However, she wasn't able to deflect it completely and it hit her in the right shoulder, severing her right arm while throwing her into Kohta. She shrieked as they crashed against the wall and fell to the floor, the girl's blood splattering in his face and coating him. Her arm landed ten feet away, having only stopped due to the manacle and chain attached to the wrist. Kohta's eyes grew wide with horror upon seeing carnage. He scooped her up and looked into her eyes.

Her face was a drained combination of pain and relief. "Are…are…you…hurt?" she moaned.

"No…" he replied, just then noticing how the girl reminded him of Nyu and Nana.

"I'm glad…I'm just…not strong enough…to stop bullets…that size," she whispered as her lifeblood flowed out of her stump, drenching Kohta's chest and legs. "I don't…want to die...not like…this. I'm…not…a…monst…." The girl breathed her last, looking into Kohta's face as he held her.

Tears gushed forth from Kohta's eyes as his grief and rage overwhelmed his fear. He clenched the dead girl to his chest, sobbing over her…a complete stranger.

Mocking laughter echoed through the lab as the malevolent voice called out, "Such pitiful sentiment…you truly are a worthless maggot. Are you capable of loving our Queen, insect? I say no and now you die!"

Kohta turned his eyes toward the window with a look that could kill. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO KILL HER LIKE THAT!"

"Interesting response, insect…but it's too late for you and your kind," the malevolent voice hissed. "The diclonius are the bane of humanity…their destruction. Humanity had its chance and they failed utterly, as have you."

The cannon began to hum as it charged for the next shot. "Big words for someone who won't even show himself to an unarmed and chained man!" Kohta raged, clenching the dead girl in his arms. "I don't know who the hell you are, but your nothing but a coward to be killing helpless girls like this! I know girls like this and I know their pain. But what you're doing here is insanity! Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'M THE KING AND DO AS I PLEASE! NOW, YOU WILL DIE FOR YOUR INSOLENCE, HUMAN!" the malevolent voice roared.

The hum from the cannon became a shriek just before it discharged. Again, time slowed. Kohta saw the bullet emerge from the cannon and he sighed, thinking, _At least now I can be with Nyu._

"K…o…h…t…a…," the first voice he heard echoed in his ears. "I…love…you, Kohta."

His eyes grew wide as Lucy's face shimmered in front of him. The bullet passed through her image and suddenly disintegrated one inch from Kohta's forehead. His mouth fell open as the girl and lab suddenly vanished…swallowed by darkness so dense he couldn't even see himself. "Nyu…" he wept, sitting alone in the darkness.

"Kohta…you aren't alone," the first voice echoed in his head. "I'm with you and I love you…wait for me."

"Nyu!" he cried to the darkness.

"Kohta…Kohta," a familiar, yet different voice echoed in his ears. "Wake up, Kohta! Wake up!"

The darkness around Kohta began to lighten as he heard the whine of a dog, followed by Yuka's voice begging, "Come on, Kohta…wake up." Next, he felt someone shaking him.

He suddenly gasped, waking with a start while tears streamed down his cheeks. Sobs bubbled up uncontrollably as he saw a blurry face. As his hand came up to his eyes, Yuka's face came into focus. She had a very concerned look on her face. "Nyu…" he sobbed deeply, leaning into Yuka's embrace…burying his face in her nightgown-clad shoulder.

His raw emotion brought tears to Yuka's eyes as she held him close, rocking him gently. She said nothing…just let Kohta grieve as she held him. Sobs slowly rose from her toes, bubbling out in a soulful release as she realized what Nyu's loss really meant to her. Yes…Nyu was her rival, but she was her friend too and Yuka struggled to reconcile the two. However, her friendship with Nyu rose above the rivalry and the true loss hit her full force. "Oh Kohta…" she wept. "How could I…" She couldn't finish, but merely clenched him tightly.

Seconds later, she realized someone else had latched onto to both her and Kohta. Yuka opened her tear-stained eyes, seeing Nana hugging both of them with her head laying on Kohta's back. Tears and soft sobs bubbled out of her. Nana noticed Yuka smile softly through her sobs, and she smiled.

After a couple minutes, Kohta calmed down, whimpering, "Will it never end?"

Yuka knelt in front of him, wiping her eyes. "You really loved her, didn't you?"

Kohta briefly looked her in the eye, and then cast his gaze to the ground. "I did," he admitted. "…more than anyone I've ever met before. But she's gone forever. Is it my fate to have everything I love dashed to bits before my eyes?"

Yuka felt her heart wince painfully…as if someone had driven a knife into it. Kohta admitted loving Nyu more than her. Anger and jealousy flared, causing her to slap him. "How could you?" she demanded, heart-broken. "How could you love her more than me? I've loved you forever! I was supposed to marry you, not some lost kitten who washed ashore on the beach!" A gasp suddenly escaped her lips as her hand covered her mouth; she had just exposed her jealousy to Kohta. A look of shame came over her and she averted her eyes while Kohta held his stinging cheek in shock. Nana's mouth hung open in total surprise. Tears poured out of Yuka's eyes as she broke down, crying, "I'm so sorry, Kohta, so sorry for everything. I'm terrible! I whine and complain and nag you constantly because you…" She covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

Yuka's confession caused Kohta to briefly forget his own grief and feel a bit guilty and ashamed for not paying more attention to her. He reached out and took her hands. Looking into her eyes, he said softly, "Yuka…you're my family. You've always been my family. I love you, Yuka. You're always there for me. I'm sorry that you feel I've been ignoring you. I didn't mean to. But you must understand something. What I felt for Nyu is something I've never experienced before. It's not like what I feel for you."

"Then what do you feel for me?" Yuka whimpered. "And don't lie to me, Kohta! I have to know!"

Kohta sighed as he wiped his eyes while Nana knelt off to the side, looking at him and Yuka like a child looks at fighting parents. "Yuka…you're the best friend I've ever had. You've always been there for me and I really like you a lot. I'd die for you. You're family…a most precious sister I could never part with. I love you. But what I felt for Nyu was different…deeper. She touched my soul, Yuka, and…I just can't explain it. I loved her." His face was a cacophony of different emotions trying to come out at once. He sighed, realizing he saw Yuka as a replacement for his sister. But Nyu was his lover and he knew it.

Yuka's face faltered, her cheeks turning red as anger and jealousy rose again. Her ears turned crimson as she snapped, "All I am is a sister to you? Is that it? You just see me as a replacement for Kanae! How could you do this to me, Kohta! You've loved Nyu since the day we found her naked on the beach…you lousy pervert!" Her hand snapped out again to slap Kohta and he caught it with his hand.

His eyes blazed with anger mixed with grief. She didn't understand…she couldn't understand. All she saw was his infatuation with Nyu. "You still don't get it, Yuka," he scolded. "You haven't heard a word I've said." She lashed out with her other hand. He blocked it, and then slapped her across the cheek. Shock fell over her as she saw Kohta begin to cry again. "You just don't understand!" he sobbed. "Family is the only thing I have left. Without you, I'm alone, Yuka…ALONE! Can't you understand that? Why do you think I spent that year in the hospital after Kanae and my dad were killed? I was alone…no one to help me cope! Now, you're going to let the memory of someone I truly loved, who's dead, get in the way? Do you know why I came out here with Nana so early? Do you? Did you even bother to ask?"

Humiliation filled Yuka's heart as she regretted being jealous of a ghost. Kohta's anger and grief broke through her jealousy and her head sagged as she whimpered, "No."

"We were out here deciding on where to place grave markers for Nyu and Nana's adoptive dad," Kohta stated, his anger waning. "She lost her dad last night, just like I lost Nyu. It's only right we place markers in memory of them. I must place one for Nyu so I can cope and get on with my life. If I don't, her memory will haunt me the rest of my life. When we decided where to put them, I sat down here and fell asleep because I didn't get much sleep when we got back here last night. Nana, like the good girl she is, chose to stay with me in case I needed anything."

Yuka felt her heart flutter when he said that. She hadn't lost him to a ghost. He was trying to deal with his loss. "Oh Kohta…I didn't know. I'm sorry I'm such a pain to you."

He embraced her, saying, "Yuka…I love you more than life itself. You're my family and I cherish family above all things. After loosing Kanae and my dad, and now loosing Nyu, I realize I must hold on to the things I love the most and not let go."

Yuka began crying as she clenched him tightly. "I don't want to loose you, Kohta. I love you. You're the only one I've ever loved."

"You won't loose me, Yuka," he whispered in her ear. "We have a special bond that ties us together…a bond of blood. Please try to understand, my love for you is unconditional. Even if I marry another, you will always have a special place in my heart that I will never forget. Can you understand that?"

She gazed into his eyes, seeing his conviction. Her heart sank as a dismal expression crossed her face. "Yes…I think I do. You're not going to marry me, are you?"

"I don't know," Kohta stated honestly. "Right now, everything's so screwed up for me that I can't even think straight. But…" He looked at Nana and reached out, touching her on the shoulder while touching Yuka on the shoulder with his other hand. "…the one thing that I know for true is what we have here now. We have a family…I have a family and I'm not going to let anything rip it apart. We're a family…you Nana, are part of our family." He paused for a moment, looking Nana in the eye. For that moment, Nana digested his words, and then a smile broke across her face from ear to ear as tears ran down her cheeks. He then turned to Yuka, adding, "So are you, Yuka…more than you'll ever know and so is Mayu. Even Nyu was part of it for a while and I think it's only right we give her a fitting place to rest right here under this cherry tree. It was her favorite spot…right Nana?"

Nana merely nodded with a smile while tears dripped from her chin. She saw Yuka's dismal expression and said softly, "Please don't fight with Kohta, Yuka. He loves you. Please…don't be mad at him for loving Nyu too. He wants to be with you. He needs you."

Yuka looked into Kohta's eyes, seeing the weight of his grief. "Do you really…do you really need me, Kohta?" she asked softly while watching tears drain down his cheeks.

Kohta didn't hesitate with his reply. "Yes, Yuka…I need you now more than I've ever needed you before. Help me…I don't want to repeat what happened eight years ago and spend a year in the hospital because no one cares."

"I care!" Yuka blurted out. "I've always cared. Of course I'll help." She latched onto him in a caring embrace, saying, "You're not alone in this, Kohta. I'm here."

Nana suddenly hugged both of them, saying, "So am I. I'm so lucky to have you two."

A smile crept across Yuka's face at Nana's comment. "Now, let's get you in the house, Kohta, and get you something to eat," Yuka suggested.

Kohta nodded as Yuka and Nana helped him up. "Yuka?"

"Yes, Kohta?" she replied, helping to support him.

"I appreciate everything you've done," he said. "But can you do something for me?"

"Of course," Yuka answered. "What is it?"

"Don't be so jealous of me all the time and don't treat me like a child," he stated soberly. "I'm a grown man, after all."

Her expression faltered for a moment until she realized what he was asking. At that point, she realized how jealous she was of him and how it made her react. With a nod, she said, "Okay, Kohta. I'll try. Could I ask you to do something for me?" He nodded and she pleaded, "Try to pay a little more attention to me, okay? I tend to get very jealous when I feel I'm being ignored by you."

"Okay," he replied.

A pleasant smile crossed her face as she and Nana led Kohta back into the house. As they walked, Yuka said, "Your idea of grave markers for Nyu and Nana's dad is a good one. Would you mind if Mayu and I were part of their placing. I wouldn't feel right if we weren't allowed to be part of it. Nyu was part of our family."

"Of course it's all right," Kohta replied softly. "I wouldn't have it any other way." Yuka smiled, delighted with his reply, as they disappeared into the house.

Meanwhile, down at the beach, Bandoh trudged through the sand with a trash bag in one hand and a short spear in the other. He spotted litter a few feet away and scowled. "Stupid assholes…they better hope I don't catch them leaving this shit out here." He stopped and used his spear to skewer the beer cans and candy wrappers left in the sand. "Don't they know this stuff never goes away?" After cleaning up a half bag of litter, he moved on. A helicopter thundered over his head, heading out to the island in the bay. A dark look crossed his face as he uttered a curse on the people in the helicopter. "What're the SAT teams up to now?"

A hundred yards up the beach, he stopped, seeing dozens of footprints around a spot of sand with the tracks heading north. "Mmmm…combat boots…heavy gear…the SAT teams were here last night." He squatted down and looked closely at the spot in the sand, seeing dried blood. "So…that bitch is still alive, or at least she was last night. That must be why they're still scouring the beaches." He suddenly rose and looked around as a peculiar odor drifted from the thicket just off the beach. He dropped his bag and rammed the spear in the sand while pulling his pistol from his coat. "I've finally found you. This time, you die."

Bandoh slowly crossed the sand, carefully following a trail that only the most experienced trackers could follow. "You seem to be getting smarter, bitch…hiding your tracks like that. Those shits in the SAT didn't see it because they're not me." Upon reaching the edge of the thicket, he squatted down and looked into the underbrush. The smell of blood permeated the air there. "You're wounded too…seriously I suspect. Well, no matter. That'll make my job easier. Hey in there...time to die!"

No response came from the thicket…only the chatter of birds. Bandoh suddenly opened fire, emptying his ten round clip into the bushes. In one fluid motion, he reloaded and carefully pushed into the scrub trees. "I'm coming to get my eyes and arm back, you bitch!" he cursed. Still, no answer came from the thicket. Finally getting down on his hands and knees, he pushed into the center of the thicket. For a moment, a vague image of Lucy flitted before his cybernetic eyes as he reached the hollow in the center. A growl escaped his lips as he saw a patch of bloody ground and no other way out. He smacked the ground with his fist. "God damn it! She's gone! I missed her again!" Suddenly, his eye caught a fragment of her denim dress hanging on the branches above him. He looked up and saw a hole straight above the hollow that reached all the way out of the thicket. His eyes widened and a smile crossed his lips. Upon taking the shred of her dress, he smelled it, taking in her scent as he inspected the vertical tunnel through the underbrush. "Ah…the game is on now. Learned some new tricks, haven't you, bitch. But it won't save you. I will find you and rip you apart with my bare hands." He pocketed the fragment and crawled out of the underbrush onto the beach. As he walked out to the water, he muttered, "Who would've thought she washed up here so close to where I found that brat last night…just a matter of six hundred yards. Well, no matter…she's mine." With that, he retrieved his spear and trash bag and walked back toward the main entrance to the beach two-and-a-half miles to the south.

Suko Arakawa staggered into her quarters at the Institute and locked the door. Her face was blank with shock as she leaned against the door. She stared at her tiny room with barely enough room for a bed, dresser, and desk with a computer. At the far end of the room was a door to the tiny bathroom she was allowed…complete with toilet, sink, and a shower stall. Tears started flowing from her eyes as she remembered the Directors laughs and taunts while he mercilessly raped her. His scent was a stench in her nostrils. In seconds, sobs began rising and she bolted for the shower, stripping down as she went.

_It won't come off!_ she thought, scrubbing herself viciously with the bar of soap. _His smell just won't come off!_ The water beat down on her as she continued to try to cleanse herself. Suddenly, she dropped the soap and collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably, her fears and rage at what had happened rising to the surface. Sobs became screams of fury, and then back to sobs. _What did I do to deserve this? Somehow, he's going to pay for this!_ She covered her eyes and wept as the water from the shower washed her grief down the drain.

Back in the holding areas of the Institute, in cell sixty-six, a figure encased in massive restraints, locked in a holding tank with three layers of defensive locks, stirred from a drug-induced coma. A smile slowly crept across the figure's face hidden inside the helmet on its head. _Ah…I can think now. The fools have made a fatal error and my time's finally at hand,_ the figure thought. _Soon, they'll all die for what they've done to me and Lucy will, at last, be mine. _

Meanwhile, Lucy suddenly looked up as she leaned against a tombstone in the cemetery where she'd fought Nana…her diclonius telepathy honing in on a telepathic pulse coming from the bay. "What's that?" she muttered, clenching her legs to her chest.

"I don't know," Kaeda's voice echoed in her head. "I think there's a diclonius close by. But I've never encountered one as powerful as this before."

"Great!" Lucy hissed with a scowl. "That's all I need…another Mariko. I just want to be left alone."

"This one isn't a silpelit like Mariko," Kaeda returned. "That much I can tell. However, pay it no mind for now, Lucy. You're almost home. Rest here for a while. You've done well getting this far. Just another mile and you'll be home."

"Home…" Lucy moaned. "Will I ever really have a home? Will they ever leave me in peace?"

"Do you love Kohta?" Kaeda's voice echoed in her ears.

"Yes," Lucy replied.

"Do you feel you have a place with him?" she asked.

"Yes," Lucy said.

"Then you have a home with him," Kaeda stated. "It's as simple as that. But we may have to fight to keep it. You're the Queen, Lucy. You can decide your own fate and what you want to do…not them. Now rest yourself for the last leg of your journey home. Trust me, Kohta is waiting for you."

"I hope so," Lucy whispered, finding herself getting sleepy. "I've got to find a place out of sight to rest." She looked around, seeing a mausoleum toward the back of the cemetery. It appealed to her, so she pushed herself to her feet and trudged toward it. Upon reaching the structure, she saw a lock on the stone door. In less than a second, the lock split in two, falling to the ground…a victim of her vectors. A weary smile crossed her lips as Lucy pushed the door open. Stepping into the crypt, she saw the coffin on a pedestal with barely enough room around it to lie down. "This will do," she muttered, closing the door down to a crack. The stale air reeked of death but it didn't faze her. The smell of death was familiar odor to her. She laid down next to the wall and sighed deeply. The last leg of her journey home seemed to be the longest to her. Fear gripped her, setting her stomach churning. Yet, fatigue weighed upon her heavily. It won over the fear as she drifted off to a fitful sleep.

Director Kakuzawa looked out his office window, arms folded across his chest. A smug look of grim satisfaction plastered his face. _It's been a long time since I've pleasured myself with a woman, _he thought. _I'd forgotten how much fun it was…the way she squirmed and screamed. It made me feel young again…young and powerful. Arakawa is a beautiful choice for my experiment. Let's see if she can take the pain of what I have in store for her._

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. "Enter," he called out.

The doors to the office opened and a burly black man of forty entered. His bald head shined in the light of the office. "Sir…we have news on number sixty-six."

Kakuzawa's eyebrow rose and he turned to the man. "Is that so, Darren…what's so important that you have to intrude on me this time of morning?" Kakuzawa's tone dripped ice.

Darren shuddered as Kakuzawa's predator eyes glared at him. "Sir…number sixty-six has awakened from his coma, inspite of the drugs we've been giving him. What do we do about it? He's the most dangerous diclonius in this entire facility."

A wicked smile crossed Kakuzawa's face as he began to foment a plan about how to deal with Lucy. "I'm well aware of his power," he said to Darren. "For now, keep him locked down. He's awake because I have plans for the boy."

"What plans?" Darren asked, trembling as he realized the Director was responsible for Sixty-six waking up.

"Are you stupid?" Kakuzawa hissed. "You know better than to ask that of me. I'll tell you when I'm ready! Now get out of here before I have number Eighty-six tear you to pieces."

"Yes sir!" Darren replied, fleeing the office.

"Stupid fools," Kakuzawa muttered. "Seems the boy has awakened sooner than I anticipated. All the better...now I can begin implementing my plan. I will be full-blood diclonius again and the world will be mine."


	4. Chapter 4 Dark Reunion

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Dark Reunion

At four in the afternoon the day after the tragedy involving Lucy, Nana, Kohta, and Professor Kurama, Yuka and Mayu watched solemnly as Kohta and Nana finished setting up the markers for Nyu and Professor Kurama. They were small white marble headstones with the name of each carved on them. Yuka and Mayu held large bouquets of flowers while Kohta smoothed the ground around the stones. When satisfied everything was perfect, Kohta and Nana knelt before the stones, rubbing his hands on his blue jeans to remove the dirt on them. Tears drained down his cheeks as a troubled sigh escaped his lips. Dirt stained his blue jeans and white T-shirt. He cast a glance at Yuka, seeing her in a pretty, but simple black dress. Mayu still wore her school uniform as she held her flowers and Nana wore tan shorts and T-shirt. No words were spoken. Yuka stepped forward and touched Kohta on the shoulder while handing him the flowers. Mayu gave her bouquet to Nana. Kohta futily tried to stifle the sobs that rose in him. He looked at the flowers and silently laid them before the stone. Yuka knelt beside him and held his hand. Tears flowed from her eyes.

Nana broke into sobs after placing her flowers at Kurama's marker. "Papa…oh Papa!" she wailed, releasing her grief as she bowed her face to the ground, covering her eyes with her hands. Mayu cried with her, putting her arms around Nana.

Nana's wails broke Kohta's composure. "Nyu…forgive me!" he wept deeply, tears dripping off his chin. Yuka drew him into a sad embrace and they cried on each other's shoulders. "I couldn't save you, Nyu!" he wept. "I couldn't…"

"But you tried," Yuka sobbed. "That's all that matters. You can't save everyone, Kohta, no matter how much you want to. Sometimes bad things happen and there's nothing that can be done about it. You must look past it and look at you still have."

Kohta's sobs subsided as he looked into her brown eyes while she held his cheeks in her hands. "You're such a gentle and loving person with an intense desire to help others less fortunate," Yuka cried. "You mustn't forget that you've helped both Nana and Mayu as well. You were able to save them from a terrible situation. Please don't forget that and us in your grief."

Kohta suddenly found himself staring into the faces of Nana and Mayu, who were bracketing Yuka. "Thank you for giving me a real home," Mayu whimpered, moving to his left side and hugging him.

Nana moved in from the right and latched onto Kohta, crying, "Thank you for everything. Without you, I'd be dead. I love you, Kohta."

"We all love you," Yuka agreed. "…and we're here for you. Please, don't push us out in your grief. Let us help you the way you've helped Mayu and Nana."

"Thank you," Kohta croaked, holding the three people left who were the most important to him in a group hug. "Thank you…you don't know what this means to me." The weight of his grief began to lift slowly, allowing a peaceful look to cross his face. "Let's never forget Nyu. I hope she finally has peace."

"She does," Yuka stated, staring into his eyes. "She's in a better place now where those evil people can't get her."

"Yes," Mayu chimed. "Nyu's going to be all right."

Kohta turned and looked at Nana, whimpering, "I'm sorry about your papa, Nana. We'll remember him too every time we come out here. I'm sure he was a good man deep down."

"Thank you," Nana sobbed softly. "Papa was good to me. I always tried to make him proud."

"I'm sure he's proud of you now," Yuka stated, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I know he'd want you to be happy."

Nana nodded with a growing smile. "Yes…he did. That was the last thing he told me before he died." She remembered his last words before he walked down to the bridge with Mariko, where both of them died in a horrible explosion.

Professor Kurama had just subdued his daughter, Mariko, with love, keeping her from beating Nana to death with her vectors. He stood at the top of the stairs with Mariko in his arms, looking at Nana. "Nana, please promise me you'll do all you can to be happy," he said softly.

Nana looked up at him through a bruised, beaten face, crying, "Papa! Papa!" as he walked down the stairs with Mariko to his demise on the bridge.

"Are you happy with us?" Kohta asked.

"Oh yes, Kohta!" Nana cried enthusiastically, snapping out of her remembrance. "Here, I feel wanted and am not shunned because of who I am."

A slight chill raced down Kohta's spine as Nana's remarks reminded him of Lucy. "I'm glad you're happy here and you are wanted here. What about you, Mayu? Do you regret coming to live with us?"

"Absolutely not," Mayu replied. "You've given me a real family. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have a real home now."

"See Kohta," Yuka chimed, wiping the tears from Kohta's cheeks. "Inspite of Nyu's loss, you still have two successes. That's a pretty good average…two out of three." She looked deep into his eyes and still saw deep emotional damage and grief from the tragedy, but he was now starting to come to terms with it. "I know you loved Nyu very much. I don't know how you came to love her like that and maybe it's not any of my business. However, sometimes things just don't go the way we want. Nyu was an extreme case of that. It's not your fault things turned out the way they did. But I want you to know that I love you, and will never leave you. I'll always be here for you so you never have to repeat what happened eight years ago. No one should have to endure that kind of sorrow alone. I'll be here as long as it takes for you to heal from this calamity. And because of what you've done for Mayu and Nana, so will they, right?"

Both Mayu and Nana chimed "yes" in response.

"I'll never let this family be destroyed," Kohta said with fire in his eyes. "I've a family again and nothing's going to tear it apart…not as long as there's life in me. Thank you for sharing my pain and grief and believing me. It helps. All I ask is that you be patient with me. Hopefully, with time and your help, I'll get over this."

"You're looking better now," Yuka commented, noticing the change in Kohta's demeanor. "You don't look like the world has crushed you underfoot."

"I do feel a bit better," Kohta murmured. "Maybe I've cried myself out. I don't know. I feel like Nyu's watching us right now and smiling that big smile of hers. It makes me feel like I can cope."

Yuka smiled. "I'm sure she is. I'm also sure she wouldn't want us huddled around her shrine all night so why don't we go inside. Besides, supper isn't going to make itself." Kohta let a chuckle escape his lips. "Is that a laugh I hear?" she chimed.

"I guess it is," Kohta admitted. "Come on, let's go in." Everyone rose and Kohta bowed to the marker, saying, "Please rest well, Nyu. I'll stop by whenever I can."

Yuka frowned as her ears reddened slightly, jealousy rising. _Can't be jealous of a ghost_, she thought. _I have to give him time. He'll come around eventually._

Kohta turned to her after speaking to the marker, seeing the look. He sighed and latched onto her arm, saying, "I'm just honoring her memory…that's all. Come on."

"Okay," she replied, suppressing her jealousy. With that, everyone went into the house after pausing to lavish some attention on Mayu's puppy, Wanta. The sun sank toward the western wall of the house as they walked in.

"Lucy," Kaeda murmured in her ear. "Lucy…wake up."

Lucy stirred and opened her maroon eyes. A groan escaped her lips upon seeing the mausoleum she was napping in. Pain coursed through her body from the wounds, which oozed blood. A grimace crossed her face as she pushed herself into a sitting position, agonizing pain flashing up and down her spine. "Lucy," Kaeda's voice echoed in her ears.

"What?" Lucy hissed to the separate personality sharing her body.

"You should go now," Kaeda whispered. "My strength is failing. I can't keep your wounds from reopening much longer. You need to get to Kohta before our strength fails and your dark half returns."

Lucy heard Dark Lucy's laughter echoing faintly in the dark corners of her mind. "Kohta…need to go home to Kohta," Lucy moaned.

"Get up, Lucy!" Kaeda insisted. "Time is running out. Take the last of my strength and go!"

Nyu suddenly cried out, "Nyu help! Nyu help!" Dark Lucy's laughter vanished with a vicious growl and Lucy felt her strength rise above her agonizing pain. Both Nyu and Kaeda grabbed onto Lucy, infusing their strength into her and she rose to her feet. "Go home to Kohta!" Nyu begged. "Go now before Bad Lucy gets stronger."

Lucy leaned on the coffin with both hands, steadying herself. "Time to go home," she muttered. She staggered to the door and opened it. The rays of the late afternoon sun hit her in the face and she hid her eyes with a curse. Moments later, her eyes adjusted and she stepped out of the mausoleum into the cemetery, leaving bloody handprints on the door as she shut it. "Got to go home…I'm coming, Kohta. I'm coming." With each step, her strength rose and a weak smile followed. "Thanks, guys," she whispered to Nyu and Kaeda. Her gait was slow, but steady. Blood dripped off her dress, shoes, and fingers as she walked, leaving a faint trail. Halfway to the gate of the cemetery, she paused, leaning on a headstone. A sour place formed in the pit of her stomach.

"Keep going," Kaeda urged.

"Wait…" Lucy whispered. "Something's wrong here, but I can't put my finger on it. Someone's watching me." She looked around urgently, feeling like she was being stalked. "I've got to get out of here. It's not safe here any more." The trees stirred in the late afternoon wind. Shadows flitted around the tombstones. She growled and started moving again, keeping her eyes and senses open as she left the cemetery on her way to Kaeda House and Kohta.

Meanwhile, back at the Institute, number Sixty-six thought, _Hmmm…Lucy is stronger than I anticipated, even with her fragmented mind and those wounds. Very little escapes her notice. She sensed my probe. I must be careful in approaching her. And I must find out what this feeling she has for this human is all about. It's not what I expected from her at all._ As number Sixty-six mulled over Lucy, a voice reached his ears…that of Director Kakuzawa.

"Are all the safety measures active?" he asked

"Yes sir," a voice replied. "He's awake and can hear you."

"Good," Kakuzawa stated. "Number Sixty-six…can you hear me?"

"Of course I can, you putrid excuse for a human," Sixty-six answered icily through a speaker. "What do you want?"

"Do you know why you've been awakened?" Kakuzawa asked.

"You obviously need me for something," Sixty-six hissed.

"Indeed," Kakuzawa stated. "I need your special talents for a very important mission."

"Let's cut through the bullshit, Director," Sixty-six cursed. "Despite your drugging of me, I know what's going on. You're still trying to clean up the mess your bastard son made by releasing Lucy. What's the matter…can't you catch her?"

"Don't take that tone with me," Kakuzawa snapped with a frown. "With a snap of my fingers, I can have you blown apart."

"Of course you can," Sixty-six mocked. "You must think I'm still a scared little boy and don't know about the explosives packages you've implanted in me. Listen to me, you lousy piece of shit. I'm aware of everything you've done to every diclonius in this facility, including Lucy. I'm also aware that you too are part-diclonius and want to become full-blood diclonius again. You see…you're an open book to me. You can't hide your thoughts from me. Let me ask you something, vermin. Do you really believe that Lucy is vital to your plans? Of course you do, otherwise you wouldn't be here demanding my help."

The Director felt a pang of fear race down his spine and Sixty-six laughed menacingly. "Is that fear I sense coming from you, Director? Well…you should be afraid. We diclonius are the pinnacle of evolution and you're nothing but a throwback half-breed who wants to be a god."

"Seems I was mistaken to ask for your help," Kakuzawa retorted. "I thought to give you a chance to prove yourself to me. However, all you want is to insult me. Very well, give my regards to oblivion."

"Keep your threats to yourself, Director," Sixty-six hissed. "They won't work on me. Death holds no sway over me. It can't possibly be any worse than what I've already endured at your hands. Besides, you're not going to kill me and you damned well know it because you need me to secure Lucy for you. Am I correct?"

"Yes," Kakuzawa replied, realizing Sixty-six knew much more than he let on. "Lucy's power is growing as she matures and she has eluded my best efforts thus far to recapture her. We came very close when I sent number Thirty-five after her. Unfortunately, I had betrayals in my own circle that allowed her to escape again. Now I'm forced to ask for your help to get her back before she destroys a generation of work."

"Ahh…your precious work," Sixty-six mocked. "What a tragedy that would be for it to all go up in smoke."

Kakuzawa's face began to wrinkle in frustration. "What do you want, Sixty-six?"

"Negotiating terms now, are we?" Sixty-six answered in an amused tone. "Okay, half-breed…We'll deal. You want me to secure Lucy, correct?"

"Yes," Kakuzawa replied. "Bring her back here in one piece, if possible. Otherwise, I want her head and torso intact."

"What about the human she's attached to?" Sixty-six asked.

"How'd you know about the boy?" Kakuzawa demanded.

"Don't patronize me, human scum," Sixty-six snapped. "I know it from both you and Lucy. I've sensed Lucy since you woke me and can see that attachment. However, it puzzles me why she's attached herself to that human. So what do you want me to do about him?"

"Use your own judgment on that," Kakuzawa answered with a scowl. "You may need to use him as leverage to get her to submit. Kill anyone else who knows about them."

"It could get messy," Sixty-six stated icily.

"I don't care," he retorted. "My research has been delayed far too long because of this debacle. Just get her back here and if you find Number Seven, destroy her and bring her head."

Sixty-six's eyebrows furrowed behind the helmet as his hatred of Kakuzawa burned deep at the last order. "Kill Number Seven," he repeated.

"You heard me," Kakuzawa hissed. "Just consider it a perk. She's too far gone to be useful to us."

"Okay…I can do what you want," Sixty-six stated, ice dripping from this tone. "But the question here is how am I going to do it while confined to this facility? This is a delicate operation that requires finesse...unlike your blundering SAT teams. I have to get close to her and gain her trust in order for this to work. I very well can't do it while sealed in this sarcophagus you've imprisoned me in, now can I?"

"Do I look like I'm stupid, Sixty-six?" Kakuzawa retorted. "You'll kill us all if I do that. What guarantee do I have that you'll do what I want and not rip us to pieces?"

A smirk crossed Sixty-six's face. "You have none. However, your proposal intrigues me. If you want me to retrieve Lucy, you're going to have to release me and get me close to her. Otherwise, you can go to hell and your precious research will die along with your dreams of becoming full-blooded diclonius. The choice is yours…half-breed."

Silence reigned for a few moments. Sixty-six heard mumbling voices in the background before Kakuzawa hissed, "I didn't get where I am by being stupid, Sixty-six. No deal! I'm not going to be forced to do anything. I'm the one giving the orders, not you! You won't go free…not until I have a guarantee of your loyalty. I give you twenty-four hours to think it over. You've twenty-four hours to choose…either you help me, or I'll kill you myself. No one threatens me the way you did and gets away with it." The link to Sixty-six's cell went dead.

"We'll see who blinks first, half-breed human scum," Sixty-six hissed as an evil smile crossed his lips. "Before I'm done with you, Director, you'll be begging for death."

Lucy stopped at the top of the hill above Kaeda house. She trembled violently while leaning on the wall next to the road. Her heart skipped a beat and fear rose in her soul. "Don't stop now," Kaeda urged. "Just a few more feet."

"Kohta! Kohta!" Nyu chimed. "Go home to Kohta!"

"I'm afraid," Lucy moaned. "What if he's changed his mind about me?"

"He loves you," Kaeda reassured. "He's there waiting for you. Go to him before we run out of time. He won't reject you."

Lucy summoned the last of her strength and courage and slowly staggered down the hill to the front gate of Kaeda house.

Kohta, Yuka, Mayu, and Nana sat at the table eating Soumen noodles when Wanta's bark reached their ears. "Is someone at the door?" Yuka asked.

"I'll go check," Kohta replied, heading for the door. His little music box playing Lilium echoed through the house as he briefly stopped at the front door, seeing the silhouette of a woman at the front gate. His eyes widened a bit as a chill chased down his spine. He slipped his shoes on and headed out into the courtyard while Wanta barked excitedly, tugging on the end of his leash. As Kohta passed Wanta's doghouse, the old grandfather clock began to chime, echoing through the whole house. Kohta stopped and turned to the house. "Oh—it's working," he murmured, surprised by the chiming of the clock. It continued to chime as he turned back to the gate, seeing the figure there swaying slightly. A lump formed in his throat and he hesitated.

A familiar, yet ghostly voice echoed through his mind, _Kohta. _His heart fluttered with uncertainty. _K…o…h…t…a,_ the voice whispered inaudibly in his ear. Kohta began to tremble as an impossible thought occurred to him: maybe it was Nyu at the gate. Sweat formed on his brow as he stepped toward the gate.

Inside at the dinner table, Nana suddenly gasped as her eyes went to the front gate outside the window. Kohta was standing there, back to them as he stared at the silhouette on the gate. He started to move when Nana cried, "Lucy!" She jumped up and ran out of the dining room to the courtyard. Mayu and Yuka gawked and followed quickly, catching up to her as she stood on the stoop outside the front door. Nana trembled as she watched Kohta suddenly break into a run toward the gate.

"Is it really Nyu?" Mayu whispered to Nana.

"I don't know," Nana replied with a whisper, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I sense her, but she's so weak I can't be sure."

Yuka's face fell as she saw Kohta running to the gate, completely ignoring the conversation between Mayu and Nana. _No…please don't let it be her! It can't be her!_ Yuka thought, jealousy rising again. _Anyone but her!_

The same voice he heard in his mind a few moments before drifted through the gate as he reached it. "Kohta…" it whispered, the name floating in his ears. He froze, recognizing the voice; again hesitating as he touched the gate. "K…o…h…t…a," the soft voice drifted through the gate as he saw the figure swaying noticeably. The pleading tone of the voice reached him in his fear. He swallowed hard and cracked the gate, peeking through. A gasp escaped his lips; his heart exploded, thundering in his chest as he threw the gate open. Yuka, Nana, and Mayu gasped in astonishment and came running as the puppy whined excitedly. Yuka's heart crashed into the basement of her soul as she recognized who stood at the gate.

An utterly astonished Kohta stared at Lucy swaying in the gate…her tattered denim dress and pink blouse drenched in blood that dripped down her legs into a puddle at her feet. Everything became dreamlike for Kohta, like he was detached from reality. A weak smile crossed Lucy's lips as she whispered, "I thought you'd never open up." Blood dripped down her face as she staggered forward, collapsing in his arms.

"Nyu!" he cried, waking out of his dream by Lucy falling into his arms. He immediately scooped her up and backed into the courtyard after sliding the gate shut with his foot. The surge in his strength surprised him as he turned to the house, seeing the other girls running to him. He immediately noticed the mixed look of jealousy and concern on Yuka's face, but ignored it when Lucy spoke.

"Kohta…" she whispered.

He looked down into her face, tears streaming and dripping from his chin on her face. "Don't talk, Nyu. You're hurt very badly."

"Lucy!" Nana cried. "What happened?"

"Now isn't the time," Kohta said urgently, pushing past her, Mayu, and Yuka. "We've got to help her. We've got to save her." He carried Lucy into the house with Nana and Mayu following close behind. Yuka stared at the house, tears in her eyes as she felt Kohta once again slipping from her grasp.

"It's not fair," she moaned. "First, she steals Kohta from me, and then she's killed. Now, she's back from the dead and Kohta's lost to me again. How can I compete with that? I wish we'd never found her on that beach. Then Kohta and I could've had a normal life." She plodded toward the front door with a miserable look, trying to come to terms with Nyu's resurrection. "But she is my friend," she muttered, admitting some affection for Nyu. "Maybe I should do something to help. She is badly hurt and needs me."

By time she reached the front door, Kohta appeared, smeared with Lucy's blood. An intense look of fear plastered his face. He grabbed Yuka by the hand and pulled her in the house, pleading, "Yuka…Nyu's dying. You've got to help her. You're the only one here who can help her!"

He dragged Yuka to the living room, where Lucy lay on a mat with Mayu and Nana huddled around her. Blood pooled where she lay. "She's been shot several times!" Mayu cried. "Please help her, Yuka!"

"She needs a hospital," Yuka stated coldly. "This isn't like the time she got sick. This is life and death. I'm calling the ambulance." She started toward the phone.

"No!" Nana shouted. "You can't! They'll be watching for her there!"

"What're you talking about?" Yuka demanded, turning back to them.

"You know exactly what she's talking about," Kohta retorted, grabbing both of Yuka's hands in his. "The same people who were hunting her before are still after her. She's not safe in a hospital. Please, Yuka…I'm begging you. Help her. You've been training to be a doctor at the university all this time. You have the knowledge and skill to save her. Please…please Yuka, help her. We'll do whatever you want. Just save her." Tears poured from his eyes as he dropped to his knees, pulling Yuka down with him. "Don't let fate take her away again. I don't think I could take it again. Please…"

"Nyu's your friend!" Mayu cried. "Please help her, Yuka!"

"Please, help her!" Nana pleaded.

Yuka saw everyone begging for Lucy's life and she was about to speak when Lucy moaned, "Yuka…." She moved over beside Lucy and looked down, seeing her sad condition. Pity rose in Yuka's cold heart for Lucy, warming it.

She held Lucy's hand. "Yes, Nyu?"

"Thank you for being so kind to me," Lucy whispered. "…even though you see me as a thief, stealing Kohta away from you. I hope you'll forgive me so I can rest in peace when I die."

"You're not going to die, Nyu," Yuka stated, tears dripping from her eyes. "…not yet anyway. We're going to take care of you."

"Thank you," Lucy moaned.

Kohta threw his arms around Yuka from behind and gave her a bear hug, crying, "Thank you, Yuka. Thank you, thank you!"

Yuka saw the smiles from Nana, Mayu, and Kohta and sighed. "Don't thank me yet. We still have to treat her." Looking down at Lucy, she asked, "Do you know what happened and how many times you were shot?"

Lucy nodded. "At least six times before I got away. It seems the bullets went all the way through, so you shouldn't have to worry about digging any bullets out…I'm so tired."

_I can't believe I'm going to do this. I must be crazy,_ Yuka thought. _But, it is the right thing. Kohta's right about those people who've been after Nyu. She'd never be safe at a hospital. _She touched Lucy on the head and replied softly, "Of course you are. Everything's going to be okay. We're going to take care of you. Kohta…Mayu, go and bring everything we have in first-aid supplies, even the bed sheets. Nana, you stay and help me."

"Right," Kohta stated, jumping up and rushing out of the room with Mayu on an urgent mission.

"We need to get her clothes off," Yuka stated in a professional manner. "It'll be easier to treat these wounds."

"Right," Nana chimed as they proceeded to undress Lucy, starting at her feet.

A couple minutes later, Kohta and Mayu returned with sheets, bowls of water, wash clothes, and some first-aid supplies. Yuka quickly looked over the assortment and groaned as Kohta said, "This is all we could find."

"We're going to have to get some more supplies," Yuka declared. "It's not nearly enough. I'm going to need some surgical supplies from the university."

"But won't that arouse suspicion?" Mayu asked.

"It may. But we'll just have to chance it if we want Nyu to have any chance at all," Yuka stated. "I'm surprised she's still alive with this much damage." Looking down at Lucy, she added, "You're way tougher than I thought."

Lucy smiled weakly, saying, "Thanks."

"We're also going to need some high power pain killers and sedatives to help her deal with the pain," Yuka stated.

"What…are you going to bring the whole hospital to her?" Mayu asked. "Because that's what it sounds like. How are you going to do that without anyone asking questions?"

"You leave that to me," Yuka said with a wink. "It's not a problem. But first, we need to stop this bleeding before she bleeds to death. Kohta…hand me the knife in the first-aid kit."

Kohta's heart sank as he hesitantly handed her the scalpel. "Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt her, Kohta. We need to cut these clothes off so we can properly get to the wounds. You don't have a problem with that, do you?" He shook his head no and Yuka proceeded to cut the dress and blouse open from the neck down. "I need to get your clothes off, Nyu, so we can stop the bleeding."

Lucy nodded weakly as Yuka cut the blood-soaked denim dress and blouse off her, carefully peeling it back revealing her blood-covered chest with several bullet holes in it. Kohta blushed crimson as Yuka gently raised her up. "Pull those clothes out of the way," she ordered Kohta, who dragged them aside, leaving Lucy wearing nothing but a pair of panties. He stared at her wounded form, seeing several wounds on her legs, arms, and abdomen. "Kohta…Kohta!" Yuka barked. "Take those sterile pads and apply pressure to her head wounds."

He fished around until he found the pads and pressed them to Lucy's broken horns. Lucy groaned when he did it. "Hang in there, Nyu," he said softly. She stared into his tear-filled eyes as he sat at her head, stemming the blood draining from her broken horns. Her lips slowly curled into a weak smile and he forced his trembling lips into a semblance of a smile in response.

"I've no way to treat these wounds without the proper equipment," Yuka declared. "So we're going to have to clean and bandage them temporarily until I get what I need to do this job right. Mayu, Nana, get some washcloths and start cleaning around the wounds so we can bandage them. Make sure there isn't any obvious in them when you do it. Kohta…let's get a bandage on her head to hold those pads in place."

"Right," he replied as Yuka snatched a long gauze roll. She began wrapping Lucy's head around her broken horns while he held the pads in place. Yuka saw the uncertain look in Kohta's eyes and the quiver on his lips. "It's okay, Kohta. You're doing all right and she's going to be okay. I promise." His smile fluctuated as tears drained down his cheeks. In a few moments, she finished and said, "There we are. Now, cut that sheet into bandages, Kohta." He nodded, going to work on the sheet while Yuka helped Mayu and Nana clean Lucy up and place sterile pads with antibiotic ointment on them. As Kohta ripped the sheet into bandages, he handed them to Yuka, who, with Mayu and Nana's assistance, wrapped Lucy's torso, legs, and arms where she was wounded.

When Yuka finished fastening the last makeshift bandage around Lucy's chest, she ordered, "Let's get her to her bed." Kohta knelt down and gently picked Lucy up as Yuka insisted, "Gently, Kohta…gently." She, Mayu, and Nana gathered around and helped him get to his feet, supporting Lucy and him as he rose. Moments later, they had laid Lucy on her bed. Yuka wiped her hands on her dress, asking Lucy, "Do you need anything, Nyu?"

"Some water and something for the pain…it's excruciating," Lucy moaned, her whole body flaming in pain.

"I'm on it!" Kohta blurted out, racing out of the room with both Nana and Mayu.

Yuka sat next to Lucy and pushed her bloody hair out of her eyes. "Nyu…I'm going to ask you something and I want an honest answer…you aren't really Nyu, are you? You talk like I do and Nyu is but a child barely capable of speaking."

Lucy sighed, feeling fear rise in her at being helpless before her rival. Yuka saw the fear in her face and added, "It's okay. You needn't be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you. I promised Kohta I'd help you and that's what I'm going to do. You're a multiple personality, aren't you? Nyu is one personality. But that's not who I'm seeing here. Who are you? What's your name?"

A cold chill raced down Lucy's spine as Yuka hovered over with demanding eyes. Lucy's pain kept her vectors from manifesting because of her fear. "I don't rightly remember. But the people who did this to me call me Lucy," she whispered.

"Is Nyu a part of you?" Yuka asked softly. Lucy nodded and Yuka stared down at her, unsure as to how to handle Lucy and her multiple personalities. Abruptly, she blurted out, "Do you love Kohta?"

Lucy suddenly writhed in agony; eyes clenched shut as her face contorted in pain. When her anguish subsided, she nodded with a sigh. "I'm afraid I do…more than anything. It's why I came back. He's my only reason for living now."

Yuka gasped, tears rising as her heart rent. "I see," she whispered, looking away as feelings of betrayal rose. "Thanks for being honest, Lucy."

Lucy reached out and grabbed Yuka by the hand, saying, "I'm so sorry. You must hate me for that. But, you've always been so good to me. Why would you do that? Why would you even help me…the one who's stolen Kohta away from you?"

Yuka hesitated, considering the question and her own heart. "I don't rightly know. I guess it was my upbringing; to always treat people the way I want to be treated, even when I felt wronged by them." She paused a moment, sighing while looking down at Lucy. "It's difficult to accept but sometimes things just don't go the way we want, Lucy, even if we don't like it. But don't you worry about that. As I said before, I promised Kohta I'd help you and that's what I'm going to do. Now you stay still and rest. I'm going to get the supplies we need to get you patched up. Don't you die before I get back, all right?"

Lucy nodded as Kohta returned with a glass of water and a bottle of painkillers in capsule form. "Here's the water and some ibuprofen," he said as Nana and Mayu gathered around the bed.

"Good," Yuka stated, taking the ibuprofen from Kohta. She opened the bottle, seeing capsules. "Let me see the water." Kohta handed her the water. She sat the glass down and broke open four capsules, emptying their contents into the water.

"Why are you doing that?" Nana asked.

"Nyu's in no condition to be swallowing pills," Yuka stated, hiding the fact she knew it was Lucy. "So I'm putting the medicine in the water so she can drink it. She's very fortunate her wounds didn't hit anything vital. Here, Kohta…you help her drink this." She handed the glass of water to Kohta and stood up. "I have to go get what we need to patch her up. Mayu…I want you to come and help me. Nana, you stay with Kohta and Nyu while we're gone and please clean up the living room. After we get Nyu patched up, I need to talk to you, Kohta, alone, all right?"

"Yes 'um," Nana replied.

Kohta looked up at her with a puzzled, even fearful look, seeing Yuka with a stern, condescending look on her face. "Okay, Yuka," he replied hesitantly.

"Come, Mayu," Yuka ordered. "Let's change and get going. Time's critical to Nyu's survival." Mayu nodded, following Yuka out of the room.

"I'll get started cleaning up," Nana stated as Kohta gently lifted Lucy's head while putting the glass of water to her lips.

"Okay," Kohta replied. In a second, Nana was gone, leaving him and Lucy alone. She slowly sipped on the water and grimaced.

"Ugh…this tastes awful!" she groaned.

"But it will help your pain, Nyu," Kohta retorted. "Please, drink it, but not too fast." Lucy flinched as a surge of pain raced up her spine and crashed into her skull. She grabbed Kohta's pants leg, clawing him as she made a fist. When the pain subsided, she moaned.

"Kohta," Lucy whispered.

"Yes?" he replied.

"Yuka knows about me," she declared.

Kohta looked at her seriously, asking, "What do you mean? How can she know about what you've done?"

"I didn't mean that," Lucy moaned after a surge of pain. "I mean she knows that I'm not Nyu, but that Nyu is part of me."

"How?" Kohta asked, flabbergasted.

"She saw the difference in us," Lucy stated. "She's very smart and I'm not sure she's okay with this. She sees me as a thief, stealing you away from her. I know she does."

Kohta's heart crashed into his shoes. "She told you?" he asked. Lucy nodded and he slumped, cradling the glass of water in his hands. "This is insane! I tried to tell her, but she won't listen. She knows how I feel about you, Nyu."

"I don't know what to say, Kohta. Please, let me have some more water," she moaned and he lifted the glass to her lips, gently holding her head up. Slowly, she drank it. After five minutes, she'd drained the glass and found her pain level falling to a tolerable level. He sat the glass down and looked deep into her eyes. Tears flooded his cheeks as he held her hand.

He suddenly kissed her bruised knuckles, saying, "I should've never let you go on the stone stairs. After you left, I had a revelation. I said I could never forgive you for killing my family. But when you left me there, I realized that not only did I love you, but also that I forgave you for killing them."

"You forgave me…why?" Lucy asked in an astonished whisper.

"Because I finally understood what I really wanted," he replied, leaning down until he was nose to nose with her. "I didn't understand until you left me there. I followed, trying to catch and tell you but…" He choked and his tears fell on her cheeks. "I saw the ambush on the bridge. I saw everything…I saw you fall…I thought you were dead. Afterwards, I ended up down at the beach where we found you with no reason left to live. Had Yuka, Mayu, and Nana not come down there looking for me, I might have…" He sobbed softly, holding Lucy gently, not willing to let her go ever again.

"Oh Kohta…" she wept. "I feel the same way. Your love brought me back to you. I'm so sorry for all the pain and grief I've caused you. But I can't help but feel that we're star-crossed and will never truly find the peace we want. Yuka will always be jealous of you and me, particularly me. And the soldiers will come for me eventually and I'll be forced to fight again. I don't want to fight any more. I just want to be left alone in peace with you. But…"

"Hear what I say, Nyu," Kohta said, looking into her maroon eyes. "When I saw the ambush, I lost all hope. But when I found you at the gate, my hope rose from the dead, just like you did. I know those bastards are still looking for you and I'm not going to hand you over to them…ever. If we have to, we'll leave the country…go somewhere where they can't find you. I'm not going to let them destroy the family I now have. I'm not going to let them take you away again." Bloody tears flowed from Lucy's eyes as she sobbed softly. Kohta leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. Lucy wrapped her wounded arms around him, soaking up his acceptance and love for her. Every good memory she had of Kohta flashed through her mind, strengthening her love for him.

_Home…I'm finally home,_ she thought while Kaeda and Nyu smiled, enjoying the fact that Lucy was happy for that fleeting moment. Dark Lucy leered from the background, disgusted by Lucy's love for Kohta because he was a mere human. However, in that love, she saw a small glimmer of something that caused her to hesitate in her desire to eradicate all human life. She couldn't understand it, causing her to mull over it, trying to figure out why Lucy loved this human so.

Across the bay at the institute, Sixty-six sensed the surge of love between Lucy and Kohta and wondered, like Dark Lucy, how Lucy could be so emotionally attached to a human. The more he thought about it, the more jealous he became of Kohta…a mere human. "I've got to get out of here so I can find Lucy and keep her from turning her back on our kind," he mumbled. "That human isn't worthy of her. I'm the only one who's worthy of her. That pest will die for his desecration of her."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: First off, I apologize once again for taking so long to post this chapter. I'll try to get the next one in a little quicker. It's hard juggling three stories in progress. I hope it doesn't dampen everyone's enthusiasm for this tale.

Well, it's finally happened…a faint ray of light in the dark pall of this story. Lucy has found her way home to Kohta, who believed she was dead. Now Kohta has to come to terms with his true feeling for her. However, Yuka isn't happy with this development at all. How will she deal with Lucy's return? But more importantly, what does Director Kakuzawa have in store for them and what about the mysterious number Sixty-six. What's his motivation for finding Lucy? We shall see. As always, reviews are welcome and I'd like to thank those of you who review the chapters. It helps to show me if I'm hitting the mark or not. Thanks everyone for all the great reviews. I hope you liked it. There's much more to come with lots of surprises…keep reading.


	5. Chapter 5 Rage of the King

Chapter 5

Rage of the King

Late in the afternoon just before sunset, Yuka and Mayu walked toward the main hospital on the University grounds, each carrying a small backpack. The crowds were non-existent, being the school had shut down for the semester break. They watched the few people milling about the grounds closely. "I don't like this, Yuka," Mayu whined softly. "What if they find out what we're doing?"

"Trust me, Mayu," Yuka stated. "They're not paying any attention to us. I just hope I can find Professor Sorano. She should be able to get us what we need."

Mayu's eyes grew wide. "But Yuka…no one must know about Nyu! You can't get your teacher involved. She may be one of them!"

Yuka stopped and sighed, seeing Mayu's point. She turned to Mayu and said quietly, "Professor Sorano isn't one of those guys who're after Nyu. In fact, from what I understand, she's been investigating the disappearances of the children who look like Nyu. She's been trying to find out what's been going on, especially after Professor Kakuzawa's disappearance. Please, you must trust me for Nyu's sake."

"All right," Mayu conceded with a sigh. "But I still don't like this."

"Neither do I," Yuka admitted. "But we've got to try if Nyu's to have a chance."

"If who's to have a chance?" a female voice called from behind them. Mayu let out a squeal of fright, diving behind Yuka, who turned abruptly on her heels with a shocked, surprised look on her face. "Oh…I'm sorry I startled you, Yuka," a middle-aged American woman with brown eyes and hair apologized. She stood five foot eight, wearing a blue skirt, white blouse, and blue blazer. Her purse hung over her left shoulder and in her right hand, she carried a large leather bag that was curiously empty. Sapphire earrings dangled from her ears and a pleasant smile decorated her deeply tanned face. "Did I interrupt something important?" she asked.

Yuka clenched her chest, trying to calm down from the fright. "It's okay, Miss Sorano. You startled me. We were just looking for you. I didn't expect you to sneak up on us like this."

Sorano's smile broadened as she said, "Next time, I'll try not to sneak up on you." She looked into Yuka's face, and then saw Mayu hiding behind her. "Who's this with you? I've never seen her around here before."

"This is Mayu. She's the runaway I told you about," Yuka stated, finally having calmed down after the fright. "Miss Sorano…we need to talk in private. I've a dosey of a problem I need your help with. It's a matter of life and death."

Sorano saw the pleading look on Yuka's face and said, "Come with me…I know where we can talk in private."

She led them to the old stone church on the University grounds. Once inside and finding it deserted, Professor Sorano, Yuka, and Mayu sat down on the back pew. "Okay, Yuka…what's this life or death problem you have. It's not like you to exaggerate how bad a problem is."

Yuka sighed and fidgeted with her hands for a moment. "Miss Sorano…" she began.

"Call me Myra, Yuka," Sorano replied with a concerned smile, seeing how worried Yuka was. "I'm here as your friend, not as your teacher. Now tell me what this problem is."

"Do you remember the girl Kohta and I brought to school with us a little while back with the pink hair?" Yuka asked.

"I do indeed," Myra stated. "She was quite unique and special. I knew it from the moment I saw her."

"Well, she disappeared a couple days ago and this evening…" Yuka whispered, hesitating as her eyes darted wildly while she tried to raise the courage to tell what happened.

"Something happened to that precious young woman, didn't it?" Myra surmised. Yuka nodded as Mayu watched with a combination of fear and fascination. "You know what happened too, don't you?" Myra probed.

Yuka again nodded and whispered, "She showed up on our doorstep just a couple hours ago with multiple gunshot wounds, high caliber too. Because of everything that's happened involving her, we didn't call the authorities because we suspect the ones who shot her may have people there watching for people like her."

A grave, extremely concerned look came across Myra's face. "What did you do with her?" she asked.

"We treated her best we could with the first aid supplies we had. I had to use bed sheets as bandages and told Kohta we need the right tools and supplies to help her. I left her at home with Kohta and Nana. I don't know what to do. Kohta loves her and she's my friend. If she's to survive, I need to get the proper supplies to treat her. Please, Myra…help me."

Myra saw tears rising in Yuka's eyes and patted her on the shoulder, saying, "I need you to answer me just one question before I can help you."

Yuka looked up. "What do you want to know?"

"Does this girl you call Nyu have a strange deformity on her skull that resemble horns?" Myra asked. Mayu's eyes grew wide with terror as she looked at Yuka. Myra saw the look as Yuka finally nodded yes.

"Yes, she does," Yuka admitted, looking down at the floor.

Myra sighed. "Is she being chased by someone?"

Yuka nodded. "I think so. Obviously, someone wants her dead." She looked up into Myra's face and cried, "She's dying and I promised Kohta I'd save her. Please…"

"You were right to come to me about this, Yuka," Myra stated softly. She looked to Mayu, who had a look of someone who'd been betrayed. "And you, Mayu…don't worry about your friend. I'm not one of those people who're hunting your friend. In fact, I'm trying to stop them from doing what they're doing." She turned her gaze back to Yuka, adding, "I won't know for sure until I see her. However, if your friend is mixed up with the Institute Professor Kakuzawa was involved with, you've every right to be concerned about the authorities because they own them. They're above the law and can do whatever they want. Now…what do you need to help your friend?"

A look of relief flooded Yuka's face and she leaned in, embracing Myra. "Thank you, Myra. I knew I could count on you. You won't tell anyone about Nyu, will you?"

"No," Myra stated, patting Yuka on the back. "It would be dangerous for all of us if I did. Now, let's go get what you need. I'll come along and help."

Yuka nodded as they rose. Mayu looked suspiciously at Myra, saying, "I'm not sure about this. You know how Nyu is, Yuka. She and Kohta may not like a stranger coming in like this."

"I know," Yuka replied. "But it's her only chance. Myra has much more experience in treating things like this than I have. All I have is book learning. She's actually done it for real. I'm afraid I'll do something wrong and loose her. I can't have that happen."

"If your friend is what I think she is, she's within her right to be suspicious of me," Myra stated. "But I'm here to help…not take her away, or kill her. I'm trying to stop what the Institute is doing to people like her. Please…give me a chance to prove myself. I promise I'll not betray her or you."

Mayu hesitated for a few moments. She saw the pure look of concern and desire to help on Myra's face. "Okay…I'll give you a chance," Mayu stated. "But I'm not the one who you need to convince. You'll have to convince Kohta and Nyu that you're not one of those people who want her dead."

"That's all I can ask," Myra stated, grabbing her purse and bag. "Come on, let's go and get the supplies you need. I have a key to the storerooms."

As they walked out of the church, Yuka asked, "What happens when they find the items we took missing? Surely, they'll investigate it and you could get into big trouble. I don't want you to loose your job or go to jail over this."

Myra paused and looked at Yuka, saying, "Yuka…sometimes we must do what's right, no matter what the consequences are. Your friend is dying from gunshot wounds inflicted, I suspect, by the Institute. I'm going to help save her and hopefully discover what the hell's been going on here over the last few weeks. This insanity has to stop and I feel my answers may be connected to your friend. We're going to save her and maybe, figure out what's going on. I'll take the consequences if there's a problem with the material we use. Saving her is the right thing to do. Now let's go. Time is of the essence." Yuka hesitated at Myra's words, becoming concerned that Myra was too eager to see Nyu. However, Mayu heard Myra's words and believed, so Yuka suppressed her concern, following Myra with haste.

Minutes later, they entered the hospital storeroom. "What's her condition?" Myra asked Yuka.

"She has at least six gunshot wounds, many gashes and contusions along with two head wounds," Yuka stated as they began gathering the necessary equipment. "Strong pain-killers and sedatives are need too, from what I saw. I also think she's going to need a transfusion because she's lost a lot of blood."

"Don't suppose you know her blood type?" Myra asked.

"No," Yuka answered as she packed her backpack with sterile bandages.

"Okay then," Myra stated, grabbing some surgical equipment and carefully putting it in her bag. "She may know her blood type. If not, we'll just have to find out with this little gadget." She briefly displayed a small-computerized blood analyzer before placing it in her bag. "Any broken bones?"

"Not that I noticed," Yuka stated as she switched her full pack for Mayu's empty one.

"We'll take some splints just in case," Myra stated. For another ten minutes, they gathered the supplies they needed while Mayu kept a close eye on the door. Myra zipped up her bag after placing the last thing she needed for the job in the bag…a powerful sedative. "That should do it. Now, let's get going." Upon seeing Mayu's worried face, she smiled, saying, "We're not stealing…just borrowing it and we're not going to get into trouble. I'll pay to have these supplies replaced, okay sweetie?"

Mayu nodded, her unease still very visible. Yuka's worry was equally visible. "Come on," Myra stated, boldly stepping out of the storeroom. Yuka and Mayu followed. Halfway down the hall to the back door, a small Vietnamese man in a lab coat turned a corner with a Japanese security guard. Mayu's face became white as a sheet. She hid behind Yuka as they walked toward them with Myra.

"Oh…hello, Dr. Sorano," the Vietnamese man stated, stopping in front of Myra, Yuka, and Mayu. "What brings you down here this time of night?"

"Nothing special, Tory," Myra answered pleasantly to the man. Turning to the guard, she asked, "How are you, Dan? Have you met one of my best students? This is Yuka and her friend, Mayu. Yuka asked if I could show them around a little before she began her internship. Hope it's all right."

The guard smiled. "If they're with you, there's not a problem. You're one of the most tenured professors at this University. Just be sure to keep them out of the secured sectors of the hospital. Wouldn't want them coming into contact with something bad."

"Of course, Dan. I wouldn't dream of it," Myra chimed pleasantly.

"What's in your bag, doctor?" Tory asked suspiciously.

"Oh…nothing you need to be worried about," Myra stated confidently. "It's just all the term papers I need to go over for this semester. Care to take a look?" Yuka turned her fearful face to Mayu, pretending to lean over and speak to her.

Tory looked at Myra's bright, open smile as she began to reach for the zipper. "No…I guess I don't. Have a good night, Doctor Sorano," he stated flatly. "Next time you bring students here, give me a little heads up, okay?"

"Sure, Tory…no problem," Myra chimed. Turning to Dan, she winked at him and said, "Have a good night, Dan. I trust you'll keep Tory out of trouble?"

Dan laughed deeply, saying, "Of course, Miss Sorano. Have a good night and be sure to keep those papers safe. You wouldn't want to loose those term papers. The students would kill you if you did." He winked at her and patted her on the shoulder as he and Tory walked by. "You girls have a nice evening and come back anytime," he chimed pleasantly to Yuka and Mayu.

"Sure," Yuka said softly. "I'd love to."

"Good night," Dan called out as he and Tory walked down the corridor.

"Come on," Myra ordered and they walked out of the back door with their precious cargo. Once they were in Myra's car and heading away from the University, Myra briefly looked at Yuka and said, "That was close…too close."

"You're telling me," Yuka agreed. "I thought that Vietnamese guy had us when he asked to look in your bag."

"Tory is a simpleton," Myra stated. "He's always been a suspicious little weasel. Moreover, he has connections that I'm suspicious of. Therefore, I keep him at arm's length. Dan, on the other hand, I've known for years. He's a trusted friend."

"Sounded like he knew we had something we weren't supposed to have," Mayu observed as the lights of the city streamed by.

"I think you're right, Mayu," Myra admitted. "But I don't think he's our problem. Tory is. Let's hope he doesn't do an inventory any time soon or check the storeroom surveillance tapes. If he does, we could be in big trouble."

"Do you regret helping us?" Yuka asked Myra.

"No," she answered. "Like I said, sometimes, you just have to make a stand and do what's right no matter what. If it comes to that, I'll take all the blame, saying I forced you to help me."

"You can't do that, Myra," Yuka protested. "I'm the one who asked for your help. I should take the blame, not you."

"Listen to me, Yuka," Myra said seriously. "There are ominous rumblings afoot. There's something sinister going on here that's taken control of every part of Kamakura and I know the Institute is at the center of it somehow. These people don't play by our rules. They have no qualms about slaughtering anyone who gets in their way. I don't have all the pieces here but I know something big is brewing that may be dangerous for all of us. I'm just trying to keep you away from it as long as possible."

"Thanks," Yuka said softly. "But I think it may be too late for that. I suspect these guys who are after Nyu may be the same ones you're talking about. If that's the case, then we're already in the middle of it. All I want is for them to leave us alone. I don't want to see any more of this insanity."

"That's why I'm here," Myra stated. "…to help your friend and get some answers so that you don't have to see any more of this madness. How far is it to your house?"

"We live in the old Kaeda House restaurant, overlooking the bay," Yuka stated. "It's about five kilometers from here."

"The old Kaeda House…I know where that is," Myra crowed. "I used to eat there when I first came to Japan. It had the best food in Kamakura. I was very disappointed when it closed. I didn't know you lived there?"

"It belongs to my dad, actually," Yuka admitted. "He rented it to Kohta in exchange for him keeping the place up. I ended up moving in with him after we found Nyu on the beach. It was more than he could handle alone."

"I see," Myra murmured, turning on to the expressway. "Are you happy there?"

"Yes," Yuka stated. "Well…sort of, before all this insanity began. I just wish it would end."

"I know you do, Yuka," Myra stated, patting her on the knee. "So do I."

* * *

Meanwhile, as twilight fell, Bandoh entered the cemetery above Kaeda House where Lucy and Nana fought. His eyes searched the area intensely as he slowly walked amongst the tombstones. The sound of a helicopter echoed through the cemetery and he stopped, cursing under his breath. Suddenly, his eye caught sight of a mausoleum with its door ajar. A smile crossed his lips as he edged toward it, pulling his fifty-caliber pistol. _I got you this time,_ he thought. Blood became visible on the door as he closed in. He crept up to the side of the mausoleum and paused just to the side of the door.

"Time to die, freak," he shouted, kicking the door in. His pistol came around first into the doorway, followed by his arm, and then head. "Shit!" he cursed upon seeing the tomb empty of his prey. "She's not here!" He pushed into the tomb, smelling, and then seeing a pool of partially dried blood on the floor next to the coffin. Squatting down, he touched the blood with his fingers and brought it to his nose, sampling the scent. "It's her. She was here three, maybe four hours ago. I'm getting closer. She'll never escape me." He rubbed his bloody fingers on the coffin and walked out, holstering his pistol. Upon walking out of the tomb, he saw the faint blood trail left by Lucy and grinned. "I'm coming for my eyes and arm, you freakin' bitch…ready or not!" With that, he followed the trail out of the cemetery.

* * *

Back at Kaeda House, Kohta lay asleep on the floor next to Lucy, not willing to leave her side. The fatigue of the day had caught up with him after Yuka and Mayu left to retrieve the medical supplies for Lucy's wounds. No sooner than he fell asleep, the dreams began.

Kohta found himself standing at the old shrine where he first met Lucy as a child. He looked around in the twilight glow of sunset at the shrine. "I know this place," he muttered, turning and walking toward a large tree just off the path. He saw a small marker at the base of the tree nearly obscured by the grass and leaves. "This is where I first met Nyu all those years ago. She kept coming back here. I wonder why?" Squatting down, he began raking the grass and leaves back from the marker. "This place is special to her, as is this thing here. I wonder what it is?"

"This is where I buried my only friend before you showed up," Lucy called out sullenly.

"Nyu…" Kohta replied, rising as she approached, wearing a pink blouse and blue denim skirt.

"I'm not Nyu, Kohta," she corrected. "I'm Lucy."

"Sorry…I keep forgetting about that," he apologized, taking her hand in his. He suddenly saw a small music box sitting at the shrine. His eyes grew round and he breathed, "No way…that couldn't be my music box." The box opened by itself and Lilium began to play, filling the air with its beautiful, sad melody.

He gasped as the music box played. Lucy's eyes grew round and soft sobs rose as she looked down at the little shrine she left as a child. Kohta looked at her and put his arm around her. "Who did you bury here, Lucy?" he asked softly.

"A puppy…" she whimpered. "I watched him die…beaten to death by Tomoo and his friends at the orphanage."

"Oh Lucy…" Kohta moaned, taking her into his arms.

"He didn't deserve to die like that," she sobbed. "They killed him just to make me cry. I couldn't take it any more so I killed them. It was the first time I used my vectors to punish anyone. Even now, their ghosts haunt me."

"But you have to admit, you enjoyed watching them die," a sadistic voice called from the forest beyond. Lucy immediately recognized the voice and turned to it, placing herself between the voice and Kohta.

"What's going on, Lucy? Who's that?" Kohta asked as a pang of fear raced down his spine.

"It's my dark half," Lucy growled. "It's the part of me that killed your family, along with everyone else who's crossed me."

"That's right!" the sadistic voice crowed, becoming a twisted, evil version of Lucy sitting on a large boulder fifty feet away. She was totally nude. Kohta stared at the evil doppelganger, seeing someone who had been sewn back together like a Frankenstein monster. "And I gloried in those kills. One day, you will realize everything I told you is true. The humans don't deserve to live. They'll do nothing but hurt and kill you because of what you are." Lucy growled viciously at Dark Lucy as she ranted. "And you, Kohta…you will die by her hand or we'll die by yours. It's inevitable. You're a human and we're diclonius. We cannot live in the same world."

"Shut the hell up!" Lucy roared. Her vectors sprang from her back and floated

menacingly, aimed at Dark Lucy. "I've made my choice and there's nothing you can do about it. I love Kohta…the only human to accept me for what I am."

"Relax, Lucy," another familiar voice called out. "She's just trying to antagonize you. She cannot hurt you or Kohta as long as you remain in control."

Kohta turned and saw a seven-foot version of Lucy standing twenty feet away on the path, the fading rays of the sun outlining her form. His mouth fell open in astonishment as the Giant Lucy strode up, wearing the same outfit Lucy wore. Dark Lucy scowled as the Giant Lucy stopped next to Lucy and Kohta. "What is going on here?" he breathed.

"I knew you were stupid, but not this stupid, Kohta," Dark Lucy cackled. "Isn't it obvious? Even an infant could figure it out."

"Shut your mouth!" Lucy barked.

"Kohta!" a beaming, excited voice called out. He turned his eyes toward the shrine and saw Lucy with bright, innocent eyes running to him with a huge smile. She too wore the same outfit Lucy wore.

Shock crossed his face, followed by a broad smile and understanding. "Nyu!" he cried with delight, hugging her as she threw herself on him. Lucy briefly turned a disapproving eye to the display, but kept her defensive posture and her attention on Dark Lucy.

"Kohta…Nyu love Kohta!" Nyu cried happily.

"Oh…such a revolting display," Dark Lucy hissed.

Giant Lucy glared at Dark Lucy and growled, "You should pay attention. This is why you fail because you reject what it is to truly be human."

"We're not human, Kaeda!" Dark Lucy snapped. "We're diclonius. We're the pinnacle of evolution. We're as far above the humans as they are above the animals."

"Not so," Kaeda retorted. "Genetically, we're the same as they are and we act and feel just as they do."

"Bullshit!" Dark Lucy cursed as Kohta watched in amazement while two of the four versions of Lucy argued about what made someone human. Nyu cuddled close to Kohta as Lucy remained in defensive mode while Kaeda argued with Dark Lucy. "Humans destroy anything that's different from them," Dark Lucy shouted furiously. "Shit…they do it to their own kind."

"And you don't?" Kaeda returned forcefully. "All I've seen you do from the beginning is destroy everything that you don't like. You act just like the humans you hate so. In my opinion, that makes you just as human as they are. You're not going to get rid of them through the force of your power. Yes…the humans can be arrogant, hateful, destructive louts. But they're not all like that. The ones who are like that, yes…they deserve to feel the sting of our vectors. However, what about those who don't act like that…humans like Kohta. You know he forgave us even after you destroyed his family. You can't destroy people like that. Their love and goodness makes them infinitely stronger than those who deserve extinction. Would you destroy them all like that? That's just plain stupid."

Dark Lucy glared at them, particularly Kohta, saying, "You just don't get it. They'll turn on us in a heartbeat…including you, Kohta. I saw how you broke Lucy's heart at the festival eight years ago. You'll do it again and when you do, I'll kill you myself."

Anger rose in Kohta's heart and he stepped forward, standing between Lucy and Kaeda. Nyu clung to his arm. He glanced at Lucy, and then Kaeda. When his eyes settled on Dark Lucy, they were full of anger. "I don't exactly know what's going on here except that I've figured out that each of you is part of the person I call Nyu. But I can tell you this. Eight years ago, I was young and naïve. I really liked Nyu and never meant to hurt her. The girl you saw me with at the festival was my cousin. We're kin and I love her as such. We're family and I'll fight for and die for her, if necessary. But…" He reached out and grabbed Lucy's and Kaeda's hand, saying, "…after what's happened, I've found what I lost eight years ago. Nyu, Lucy, Kaeda…whatever you call yourself, it doesn't matter. I love you and always have." Both Lucy and Kaeda looked at Kohta with surprise as he continued. "Things may have been different had you not jumped to conclusions and sent her a murderous rampage, killing my family. But that didn't happen. Things happened the way they did and as a result, my life has been nothing but a nightmare since then. Only when Lucy saved me on the bridge and I met her on the stone stairs afterwards did I finally face that demon. I don't blame her for killing my family. I blame you, whatever you are. You're the demon I've searched for all those years. And now that I see you, I don't hate you for it. I actually pity you because you're consumed with your hate of my kind."

"You dare to lecture me, human," Dark Lucy scowled, rising from her boulder. "I'll rip you apart!"

"Go ahead," Kohta challenged. "Kill me, if you dare. Life without Lucy isn't worth living. I'm your only true friend and you know it. Would you kill the only person who's ever shown kindness and love toward you?"

Dark Lucy hesitated, feeling a prick in her dark conscious. Her eyes dropped and Kaeda said, "He's right and you know it. Here's an example of why humanity isn't doomed. Let him prove his words. Let him show you why humans aren't worthy of extermination."

Suddenly, the air became stale and dense as everything turned a reddish hue. Dark Lucy began to look around urgently, going into a defensive position. Kaeda frowned and Lucy growled menacingly, stepping in front of Kohta. Kaeda moved behind them, shielding Kohta and Nyu from the rear. Kohta felt a terrible evil descend upon him and he moaned, "Oh no…not him again."

Laughter began echoing throughout the area…an evil laughter that sent chills racing down every spine, including that of Dark Lucy. "It's him!" Dark Lucy shouted, backing toward Lucy and Kaeda as they guarded Kohta. Kaeda's vectors sprang from her back, ready to take any attack.

"What is that?" Kohta asked, sick with fear.

"It's the King," Kaeda replied. "He's free. We must keep our guard up, Lucy, or he'll destroy Kohta."

Dark Lucy slipped in between Lucy and Kaeda, forming a triangular perimeter around Kohta and Nyu. She glanced at Kohta, hissing, "Don't get used to this, human. I'm still your enemy. But the King is our enemy. I'll not let him kill you until you can prove your boast."

A ghostly shadow materialized on the boulder where Dark Lucy had sat. Two glowing eyes formed in the shadow. "I've finally found you, Lucy," the shadow said icily, moving forward like a ghost. "There's no use in protecting the human. He's not one of us and not worthy of you. Give him to me so I may destroy him."

"Says you!" Lucy countered. "I love him and he loves me. You're not going to kill him while I still breathe. Touch him and I'll rip you apart."

"Lucy…Lucy…Lucy…why do you contaminate and desecrate yourself with this insect?" the shadow asked with rising irritation. "He's nothing but a worthless human parasite clinging to a goddess who should be clinging to her own kind. He can never give you what you want and help you fulfill your destiny. Now hand him over for extermination."

Dark Lucy suddenly spoke up. "I hate humans as much as you. But this human is going to prove whether they should live or die. I'll not let you kill him until he has answered that question to my satisfaction."

"Foolish girl…he's a human and cannot prove such a thing," the shadow retorted. "He's human and therefore is worthy of death, especially since he stands between me and my Queen. Now hand him over or I will break all of you while he watches, and then kill him while you watch."

"I'll never be your queen," Lucy hissed, reaching out with her vectors and ripping off a tree limb. In a split second, the limb was a missile hurtling at the shadow.

The limb disintegrated ten feet from the shadow as it growled, "So be it. You'll live to regret that decision." Suddenly, thirty vectors sprang from the shadow's back, instantly crossing the twenty meters between them. Lucy shoved Kohta and Nyu away from the fight with her vectors as Dark Lucy and Kaeda engaged the enemy. She then dove into the fight. In less than a minute, the shadow had all three of them…Lucy, Dark Lucy, and Kaeda pinned with its vectors, slowly crushing the life out of them. Dark Lucy was the first to crumble…her patchwork body coming apart at the seams. A primal shriek of agony pierced the air as Kohta and Nyu watched Dark Lucy literally fall apart.

"No!" Kohta cried out as Dark Lucy's head dropped to the ground.

"I'll get you for this, you asshole," Dark Lucy's head hissed at the shadow. "…King or not!"

"See what you've done, human?" the shadow snarled. "I warned you to stay away from my Queen. But now look at what you've done to them by your refusal to stay away."

"Don't listen to him, Kohta!" Lucy cried out as she crashed into the side of a tree with a painful cry. "I love you…I always have!"

"Shut up, Lucy," the shadow hissed as it became more human-looking with a shadowy face that revealed a cruel, sadistic sneer. "You're no match for me. You never were. Now watch as I destroy you're your pet."

"No!" Kaeda cried out, breaking free with two of her vectors. "Run Kohta, run! Get Nyu to safety!" The shadow's vectors quickly subdued Kaeda's free vectors.

She then found herself slammed repeatedly into the rocky forest floor until blood flowed.

"You bastard…don't you hurt them!" Lucy roared, the white flame in her eyes burning bright. She found herself hurling toward the ground headfirst as the shadow chuckled. Three of her vectors broke loose and arrested her plummet. However, before she could think, the shadow's vectors smashed her sideways into several trees repeatedly, leaving her barely conscious.

"Stop it! Stop it! That's enough! No more!" Kohta shouted in horror. "What do you want?"

"Your death, human," the shadow hissed, taking on the form of the Grim Reaper. "You will pay for your desecration of my queen."

"All right, all right…just don't hurt them anymore!" Kohta begged, walking up to the shadowy Reaper. He looked at Lucy and Kaeda with tears in his eyes. "Forgive me, Lucy. Remember me and my love for you."

"Kohta…no! Don't!" Lucy cried through the pain. "I love you!"

"I know you do," Kohta replied as the shadow's vectors began to wrap around him.

"No…Kohta!" Nyu cried, rushing in. The shadow's vectors instantly snared her.

"What foolishness," the shadow growled. "Your love and bravery doesn't impress me, boy. Now you will die, and from your death will arise a plague of destruction that will cleanse this rotting planet of your filthy species."

Looking at Lucy, he cried, "Good bye, Lucy. Know that I've always loved you." Turning his gaze to the shadow, his sadness turned to rage and he roared, "Go ahead and kill me! I'll be waiting in hell for you when you die."

"Such impudence!" the shadow raged. "You dare to speak to a god like that! Just

for that, I'm going to kill you slowly. When you beg for death, I'm going to drag it out and make you suffer like no other human's suffered."

The vectors constricted around Kohta and he screamed. "Kohta! No…Kohta!" Lucy cried furiously, struggling to get free.

Kaeda turned her fury on the shadow and shouted, "You're really stupid. You can't expect Lucy to be your queen if you kill Kohta right in front of her. That's the height of stupidity. Kill him and she'll make it her life's goal to destroy you!"

"Silence, bitch!" the shadow roared, slamming her against the boulder. Her head smashed against the rock and blood splattered, leaving her unconscious.

"Kohta…Kohta!" Nyu cried as she watched the shadow's vectors slowly crush him.

"Be quiet, you rug rat!" the shadow hissed, smacking Nyu against a tree, knocking her out.

"Kohta…Kohta! Damn you! Damn you to hell!" Lucy roared, struggling against the shadow's vector cocoon that imprisoned her. "I'll kill you…I'll rip you to pieces for this!"

"I think not, Lucy," the shadow stated, suddenly turning from the Reaper form into an eighteen-year-old boy with pink hair, burning red eyes and two large horns protruding from his head. "You'll never have the power to take me down. You're my Queen whether you like it or not. I'm not going to share you with anyone, especially a filthy human."

Kohta screamed again as Lucy hissed, "You speak as if I don't have any choice."

"That's because you don't," the boy replied icily. "We're diclonius…gods on earth. We cannot mingle our blood with that of the humans. It's unnatural and a crime against nature. You will be my Queen. Fate has declared it."

"The only fate I believe in is the one we make for ourselves, you asshole," Lucy growled, noticing that the more she talked to him, the less punishment he inflicted on Kohta. She also began sensing another diclonius presence approaching…a very powerful one that the boy failed to notice. "What makes you think I'd be your Queen anyway? You're no different from that bastard Kakuzawa at the Institute. He saw me as a queen and a crucial piece to his pet project, whatever that was. All he ever did was use and abuse us. I'd soon see his sorry ass ripped apart. But you know what? I'm weary of the blood. I don't want to kill anymore. It's pointless. I found Kohta…someone who truly cares for me. He just proved what my dark half wanted to see…whether humans are truly worthy of extermination. He loved me enough to put himself in harm's way to save me. That's a sacrifice I've never in my life ever seen a human do, especially for someone like me. That's all the proof I need. So you kill him and I'll see to it that you die along with any of our kind that think likewise. You said I was your queen. No…I'm not your queen. I'm THE QUEEN! I decide who lives and who dies of both species…human and diclonius alike. Now you let Kohta go or I'll show you something you've never seen before."

The boy laughed her to scorn. "Stupid, foolish girl…you cannot even get free of my vectors. How are you going to defeat me? I've four times the strength you do. I have thirty vectors that reach twenty meters compared to your six that only reach ten meters. I can reach into the minds of not only diclonius, but also of humans and bend them to my will. I know your thoughts. How can you do something I've never seen before?" He glanced at Kohta, who was on the verge of unconsciousness. "All of this over a pathetic piece of human shit. Tell me…what's this mysterious power that will overcome my power? Tell me now or I'll extend his agony."

Lucy began to smile as she sensed the newcomer very close. "What're you smiling at?" the boy hissed.

"I'm smiling at you, you piece of shit!" she crowed. "For I know what your weakness is now."

"I have no weakness. I'm a perfect representation of the diclonius evolution," the boy bragged. "…the pinnacle of our race. I'm a god! I'm the King of all diclonius. How can you say I have a weakness, bitch?"

"Easy," Lucy wheezed as he clamped down on her with his vectors, punishing her impudence. "It's your arrogance. In your arrogance, you've convinced yourself of your own superiority. However, if you were as superior as you said you were, you'd have sensed him coming like I did."

"What are you talking about?" he snapped. "I've sensed no one approach."

"That's what you think, idiot," Lucy retorted. "I don't have to beat you because I have the ability to call for help when I need it. If you don't believe me, look behind you."

"You must be joking," the boy replied. "I'm not falling for that trick. That trick is as old as time itself. Now enough of this prattle…time for this vermin to die."

"I think not," a stern voice called from behind the boy. Without warning, Lucy found herself cut free of the boy's vectors. Kohta fell to the ground next, wheezing and moaning. Lucy rushed to him as the mysterious stranger freed Kaeda and Nyu from the boy's vectors. The boy cried out in pain, turning to face a new, powerful adversary.

Lucy cradled Kohta and watched as the newcomer…a man of pink hair and maroon eyes roughly thirty years old…engaged the boy in combat. Rocks and trees flew everywhere as the battle raged. Within two minutes, the boy retreated, realizing a superior opponent outmatched him. When the boy was gone, the man approached Lucy and knelt down, asking, "Did you call, milady?"

"Who are you," she asked.

"Jin-Ryu," the man replied softly. "Oh…is the human injured?"

"Yes," Lucy stated, tears dripping from her eyes. "He sacrificed himself to save me. I've never seen that kind of love before."

"I should say so," Jin-Ryu answered softly. "It's rare to see that kind of love even among their own kind. It's even rarer to see a human love one of us enough to do that. He must really love you to allow himself to be captured by the King. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't know," Lucy sobbed. "I love him but I don't know if I can save him or even how."

"Would you permit me to try, milady?" he asked humbly. "I promise I won't hurt him. I might be able to repair some of the damage."

"Yes…please help him," Lucy cried, her tears dripping on Kohta's face.

Jin-Ryu knelt in front of Kohta and extended his vectors, penetrating them into Kohta's body. He saw the concerned look rise on Lucy's face and said, "I will not hurt him, milady. I'm just examining him. Hmmm…he's been badly injured, but…I think I can fix him up. Just give me a moment." As he used his vectors to heal Kohta's injuries, Kaeda walked up, carrying Nyu in her arms.

When she saw Jin-Ryu kneeling in front of Kohta with his vectors extending into Kohta's body, she became very concerned. Seconds later, Jin-Ryu withdrew his vectors from Kohta, saying, "That should do it. He'll be better in no time." He looked up at Kaeda and Nyu and a quizzical look came over his face. As he stood, he asked Kaeda, "You, and her and her?" He pointed to Nyu and Lucy as he asked the question.

Kaeda nodded, saying, "Yes."

"That explains a lot. You three need to get together in order to take the King," he stated. "His power is greater than you can handle separately." Kohta moaned as Jin-Ryu spoke.

"We know that," Kaeda replied softly. "We have to merge and heal Lucy's mind before she can have enough power to counter the King. Thank you for coming to our assistance."

"It was my pleasure," he crowed. Turning to Lucy, he added, "If you need me again, just call, milady."

"Thank you," Lucy said gratefully. "Will I see you again?"

"You can never tell," he replied with a smile. "I'll see you around." With that, he vanished into the forest.

"Kohta…Kohta," Lucy whispered in his ear. Kohta moaned and shook his head side to side. When his eyes opened, he saw Lucy looking in his face with a very relieved look. Her tears dropped on his face as she cried, "I'm so sorry, Kohta." Pushing himself up, he looked her in the eye and embraced her passionately, crying on her shoulder as she cried on his. Everything faded away to darkness.

Kohta sobbed deeply as the darkness lightened. Suddenly, he found himself awake clinging to Lucy, who was looking him in the eye while clinging to him. Tears flowed from her eyes as she choked, sobbing uncontrollably. He held her gently and wept. "What's going on?" he whimpered, looking into her eye after his sobs subsided. "I don't understand. Who or what is this King who wants me dead? What did I do to him?"

Lucy's eyes grew wide with shock as her sobs quieted to whimpers. "Did you see them? Did you see my other parts?"

"Yes…I did," Kohta breathed. "I saw you, Nyu, a big version of you who called herself Kaeda, and an evil dark version of you that admitted was responsible for killing my family. This is insane! It was just a dream, wasn't it?"

"I don't know," Lucy replied. "I've never shared a dream with someone else before. I don't see how it's possible. What else do you remember?"

Kohta let go of her and lay on his side next to her, saying, "Well, it all happened where we first met…at the shrine on the mountain. I found the marker for your puppy and was cleaning it up when you showed up and told me what the marker was for. Then the demon you called your dark half showed up and began insulting and threatening me. Then the big version of you appeared, followed by Nyu. It wasn't until Nyu showed up that I realized what I was seeing. The big you, the one called Kaeda, argued with your dark side about what being human was all about. I got pissed when your dark half brought up the festival eight years ago and threatened to kill me. I don't exactly remember what I said, but I do remember saying I pitied that part of you because of her consuming hate of my kind. At that point, when we finally got her to agree to let me try and prove why normal people aren't worthy of death, that fiend who calls himself the King arrived, demanding my death."

His face fell and became pale. "Every part of you tried to protect me, even your dark side. But you weren't strong enough and I watched him slowly beat you to death. I couldn't take seeing that and I gave myself to him just so he wouldn't kill you. I don't remember much after that except that somehow you called for help and this strange guy showed up and kick the King's ass. I think he did something to me afterwards and I came around. The last thing I remember is holding you, and then waking up holding you."

Lucy was dumbfounded. "This…isn't possible. How can this be…that's exactly what I dreamed. How can we have had the same dream at the same time? I don't understand at all! But…" She looked at him with tears running down her cheeks. "You sacrificed yourself to save me. You thought nothing of your own life…only to protect me. I've never seen or experienced that kind of love before."

"I seem to remember you doing the same for me," Kohta said softly, tears running down his cheeks. "I'm never going to leave or forsake you, ever. We are soul mates. There can be no other explanation."

"Soul mates," Lucy murmured as a weak smile crossed her lips. "I love you, Kohta, more than life itself. I'll do everything I can to protect you."

"I know you will," Kohta replied softly. "And so will I." With that, he kissed her gently on the lips. It surprised and thrilled Lucy. She wrapped her wounded arms around Kohta and soaked up his love. A door slammed and voices echoed through the house. Kohta and Lucy ignored it, swept up in the passion of their kiss.

* * *

Nana rushed to the front door after hearing it shut. As she entered the living room, she called out, "Where you able to…" She stopped in her tracks and her eyes grew wide with fear upon seeing Myra standing there with a shocked look, staring at her. "What have you done?" Nana cried. "She could be one of them! How could you, Yuka! Lucy's done for now!" She fled them, heading to Lucy's room to warn Kohta and Lucy.

"Wait!" Yuka called out. She took up pursuit after Nana. Myra and Mayu followed with the supplies.

"Kohta…Lucy!" Nana cried out, bursting in Lucy's room. "Yuka's…" She stopped dead in her tracks, seeing Kohta and Lucy kissing passionately. She felt the blush rise in her cheeks and gasped.

"Nana…wait," Yuka called out. "You don't under…stand." She skidded to a halt in the doorway, seeing the same thing Nana saw. Her ears turned red and her face flushed crimson. "Kohta! What are you doing?"

"Thank you, Lucy," he whispered. Lucy nodded and let go of him as he pushed up into a sitting position. He turned his face to the door and saw Nana with a shocked, but pleasant smile on her face. Next he saw Yuka, her face flushed crimson with jealousy. Then he saw Mayu peek in with a broad smile.

"I think he's expressing his love for your friend," Myra called from the background.

"I know that!" Yuka blurted out.

Myra stepped forward and put a hand on Yuka's shoulder, saying, "You should cut him some slack, Yuka. You did say he loves her."

When Kohta saw Myra, he jumped to his feet and glared at Yuka. "What am I doing?" he shouted furiously, placing himself between Myra and Lucy, hands outstretched to protect her. "What am I doing, Yuka? I would ask the same of you! Why is this woman here? She could damned well be with the soldiers! You've endangered us all!"

"I tried to warn you," Nana said, rushing to Kohta's side to protect Lucy. "She just showed up with Yuka."

"Kohta…" Lucy called out softly. "Let me see this woman's face." Kohta nodded and stepped aside, keeping his glare on Yuka.

"Come in," Lucy called to Myra, who stepped by Yuka.

She slowly approached Lucy and grimaced at the sad state she was in physically. Stopping three paces away, Myra breathed, "I knew it. You're the one they're after."

"You're not from the Institute," Lucy stated, eying her suspiciously.

"No…I a tenured doctor and professor at the University," Myra stated. "I'm Yuka's teacher and have been investigating the rash of incidents involving the Institute. I've reason to believe that they are kidnapping children with your traits and performing experiments on them. I'm looking to stop this madness because all people, no matter who or what they are deserve a chance to be free and live in peace. Yuka came to me at the University and told me what happened. I agreed to help because it was the right thing to do. We borrowed the necessary supplies from the hospital to take care of you and were nearly caught getting the supplies out of there. There is still the possibility that I may be arrested when they find out I took the supplies. I know the Institute is responsible for this. Maybe you could help me after we get you patched up? They have to be taken down."

"Is that right?" Lucy answered coldly as a single vector sprouted from Lucy's back, reaching out and penetrating into Myra's forehead. Nana's eyes grew wide as she gasped, sensing Lucy's vector. Myra jerked slightly as Lucy's vector penetrated into her mind. Her face went blank and she froze…paralyzed.

_This is impossible. She's reading my mind!_ Myra thought.

Lucy stared at Myra and thought, _That's right. I only trust Kohta. If you're not what you appear, I will sever the main artery to your brain and kill you and no one will be the wiser. I'm not going back to the Institute._

Myra heard Lucy's voice inside her skull through Lucy's vector. _So it's true…the rumors of people like you having telekinetic power. I'm not here to betray, but to help you. I'm searching for a way to bring them to justice. Just look if you don't believe me. I've already committed myself to your welfare by taking the medical supplies._

_I shall do just that,_ Lucy replied. Seconds later, a weak smile crossed her lips and she thought, _Okay, I've seen enough. Don't say anything to anyone about this. Yuka is not to know about my abilities._

_Of course,_ Myra answered._ I'm just here to help._ Lucy retracted her vector from Myra's mind without damaging it. Myra slumped with a deep sigh, shaking her head.

"What's wrong, Myra? You look like you've seen a ghost," Yuka asked.

"Oh, it's nothing, Yuka," she replied, looking at Lucy with just a hint of fear in her eyes. "I was just startled at how bad off your friend is. You came to me just in time. I hope she'll trust me enough to let me help her."

Yuka turned her eyes to Lucy, seeing a nod as she looked at Kohta. A deeply relieved Nana looked at Lucy with a soft smile.

"Kohta…it's all right," Lucy announced softly, followed by a painful cough that set her chest on fire. When the pain subsided, she wheezed, "This woman isn't one of them."

"Are you sure?" Kohta asked.

"Yes," Lucy replied. "If there's anything you've taught me, it's that not everyone is like the people who did this to me. Somehow, I can feel her sincerity. Yuka…thank you for being true to your promise."

The color began to drain out of Yuka's cheeks as she calmed down. "Okay, Nyu. Myra, we should get started treating her."

"You're right, Yuka," Myra stated, peeling off her blazer and tossing it aside. She looked at Kohta and asked, "May I?"

He nodded, kneeling at Lucy's head as Myra moved in beside her. She began examining Lucy, asking, "What's your name?"

"Lucy," Lucy replied. The answer elicited gasps from Nana, Yuka, and Mayu.

"Well, Lucy…my name Myra Sorano and I'm going to get you patched up. You're going to be all right," Myra cooed softly to her with a disarmingly pleasant smile. A weak smile crossed Lucy's lips as Myra grasped her hand and squeezed. She looked at Kohta, seeing a mix of fear and concern in his face. "Don't worry, Kohta. I'm not with the soldier. If I have my way, every last one of them will be brought to justice for the atrocities they've committed to girls like this." Her words and pleasant smile caused him to relax.

"Don't worry, I'm here," he murmured to Lucy, putting his hand on her head.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"I know you won't," Lucy whispered.

Yuka and Mayu returned with the supplies, sitting them down next to the bed. "All right people," Myra announced. "Let's get this girl patched up."

* * *

At the same time, two soldiers watched the Kaeda House from the trees high on the bluff across the road. "The director isn't going to like this when he hears Doctor Sorano is here," one soldier said to his colleague.

"Makes no difference, Lance," the other soldier stated, watching the house with infrared binoculars. "She's seen them so she's got to die with them…no exceptions. That's the order."

"Is that so?" a gruff voice called out from the darkness. "The freak is mine!"

"What the…" Lance blurted out as they turned to the voice. Bandoh stepped into view with his pistol drawn and Lance shouted, "Bandoh! What're you doing?"

"That bitch is mine and no one else's," he growled as the other soldier dropped his binoculars and turned, drawing his pistol.

"No!" Lance shouted as Bandoh's fifty-caliber pistol discharged. The other soldier's head splattered all over the tree next to him, leaving nothing but his lower jaw hanging on his neck. Bandoh's pistol wheeled around as Lance scrambled to escape.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bandoh growled, firing his weapon again, shattering Lance's right knee, and severing his lower leg. Lance shrieked as Bandoh pounced on him. Grabbing Lance by the neck, he pushed the burning barrel of his pistol into Lance's mouth, breaking off several teeth. Fear lit Lance's eyes as he felt the barrel push to the back of his mouth, burning it. He choked as Bandoh hissed, "No witnesses." The trigger abruptly clicked as Lance flinched. "Oh…looks like I need to reload. That's too bad for you." Bandoh pulled the gun out of Lance's mouth and pistol-whipped him with its barrel. Lance fell into darkness after the hit and the Reaper came for him when Bandoh snapped his neck. "Ahh…feels good to do that again," he crowed. "Now let me see what these shits were looking at." He picked up the infrared binoculars and scanned the house. "Ahh…just as I thought," he growled, seeing five heat signatures huddled around a sixth lying on the floor. "Found your way home, did you? Enjoy it for the Reaper is coming and his name is Bandoh."

* * *

As Myra examined Lucy, two gunshots reached their ears. Lucy's eyes widened, fear rising on her face. "What's that?" Mayu asked, a twinge of fear on her voice.

"Gunshots," Myra stated with a concerned tone, looking up. "They're close too."

"I'm going to check it out," Kohta declared, starting to stand up.

"No, Kohta…stay here," Lucy begged. "It's not safe out there."

"Well, at least let me secure the house," Kohta replied.

Lucy nodded as Myra stated, "That's an excellent idea. Yuka, Nana, Mayu…go with him. We mustn't be interrupted when we start."

"No," Kohta stated. "I want Nana to stay here with you and Lucy."

"Wise choice," Myra agreed. "In your position, I'd do the same. She can help me prep Lucy while you lock up."

"Watch her, Nana," Kohta ordered.

"You can count on me, Kohta," Nana replied, flashing a rough salute like a soldier, bringing a chuckle from everyone present, even Lucy.

"Good girl…we'll be right back. Come on, Yuka, Mayu. Let's lock this place down." he stated. They nodded and followed him out.

Within two minutes, they had locked every door and window into the house. As they walked back to the Lucy's room, the grandfather clock struck 10:00 PM.

* * *

Outside on the hillside above Kaeda House, Bandoh saw the activity through his binoculars and grinned. "Heard me, did you? Well, that won't stop me. Lock everything down if you want. You're all dead anyway."

* * *

Back at the Institute, Sixty-six raged, "Who was that? How could you not sense his approach and be beaten him so soundly. You had Lucy and that vermin in the palms of your hand! I thought you were all-powerful! Could Lucy be right…did arrogance blind you? Does Lucy have abilities as Queen that even she's unaware of? This development is unexpected. Seems we must alter our plans to fit."

"Yes," a sinister voice echoed in Sixty-six's head. "I made a critical error and underestimated Lucy and that piece of vermin. His love for my Queen has given him a strength I've never seen in a human before. It's also giving her added strength. Separating them is a must. We must get Lucy to turn on him. And this other diclonius who came to her aid…we must be wary of him because he's a diclonius of the highest order. He must be eliminated."

"That's obvious," Sixty-six replied. "We must get out of here and I think I know who we can get to help us."

"Indeed," the voice agreed. "That human will help us…to her own destruction, of course. You know what to do."

"Right," Sixty-six hissed with a malicious smile crossing his face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Well now, this is an interesting twist of events, isn't? Lucy sharing dreams with Kohta…a mystery diclonius coming to her assistance, Yuka bringing in her Professor to help, Lucy developing ability to read minds with her vectors and to call for help: the plot definitely thickens. How will this turn out? Can Lucy really heal her fractured persona and gain enough power to overcome the King? Will she even survive her wounds long enough to do that? We shall see. As always, reviews are always welcome. I'd like to send out a personal thanks to maddgolfer01 for his thoughts on this story so far. The items you've pointed out have helped me hone the story. Thanks for pointing out the glitches. Thanks go out to everyone else who keeps up with this story too. Your reviews are just as welcome and appreciated as his. I look over every review with delight. Thanks everyone. As always, there's plenty more twists and surprises to come. I invite you to keep reading.


	6. Chapter 6 Invasion!

Chapter 6

Invasion!

Back at the University hospital, Tory scanned the video of the storerooms in the hospital's security center. He briefly glanced at the clock, which read 12:15 AM, before turning his attention back to the recording. A hiss escaped his lips as he saw Doctor Myra Sorano, Yuka, and Mayu helping themselves to the supplies. His attention focused on their conversation and upon what they were acquiring.

"What's her condition?" Myra asked Yuka upon closing the door to the storeroom.

"She has at least six gunshot wounds, many gashes and contusions along with two head wounds," Yuka stated as they began gathering the necessary equipment. "Strong pain-killers and sedatives are need too from what I saw. I also think she's going to need a transfusion because she's lost a lot of blood."

"Don't suppose you know her blood type?" Myra asked.

"No," Yuka answered as she packed her backpack with sterile bandages.

"Okay then," Myra stated, grabbing a surgical kit and carefully putting it in her bag. "She may know her blood type. If not, we'll just have to find out with this little gadget." She briefly displayed a small-computerized blood analyzer before placing it in her bag. "Any broken bones?"

"Not that I noticed," Yuka stated as she switched her full pack for Mayu's empty one.

"We'll take some splints just in case," Myra stated. For another ten minutes, they gathered the supplies they needed while Mayu kept a close eye on the door. Myra zipped up her bag after placing the last thing she needed for the job in the bag…a powerful sedative. "That should do it. Now, let's get going." Upon seeing Mayu's worried face, she smiled, saying, "We're not stealing…just borrowing it and we're not going to get into trouble. I'll pay to have these supplies replaced, okay sweetie?"

Mayu nodded, her unease still very visible. Yuka's worry was equally visible. "Come on," Myra stated, boldly stepping out of the storeroom. Yuka and Mayu followed.

"What're you up to, Doctor?" Tory growled after pausing the recording. "Surely, you knew the security cameras would see you taking the supplies. Why would you do that? It's not like you to violate the regulations like this. And who's this girl you're talking about who apparently needs these supplies?" He rubbed his chin while looking at the image of Myra, Yuka, and Mayu leaving the storeroom, muttering, "I'd better check the storeroom myself." With that, he switched the monitor back to the live feed and left, heading for the storeroom. "Something just doesn't add up, and I mean to find out what."

Minutes later, he entered the storeroom and turned on the light. "The scene of the crime," he murmured. "Let's see if I can find some clues." He began searching the room intently, making a mental record of what supplies were missing…looking for anything that may give him a clue as to the doctor's motivation. After a few minutes of searching, he found a little crumbled up scrap of paper lying next to the boxes of supplies. "Hmmm…" he mumbled, "…what've we here?" As he opened up the crumbled piece of paper, back in the security center, a gloved finger pressed a key and the live feed from the storeroom turned to static on the monitor. The last image on the camera was a shadowy figure in a uniform slinking around a large crate of supplies at the back of the room, looking up at the camera while Tory, completely unaware of the figure's presence, examined a scrap of paper intensely.

Once Tory smoothed out the paper, he focused on the scrap, seeing a ripped piece of a hand-drawn picture in pencil of a house. "What's this?" he asked, rising to his feet while looking closely at the fragment. "I bet that little girl accidentally left this behind without realizing it," he muttered. "I noticed how scared she was when I saw her in the hall. I think I'd better contact the police about this. She may be in trouble." Pocketing the scrap, he walked toward the door.

When he reached for the doorknob, a hideous fiery pain shot through his lower back. A shriek escaped his lips as his back arched, trying to escape the pain that burrowed deep into him, paralyzing him. He felt a warm, sticky liquid running down his back from the source of the pain. As he rose up on his toes, a gloved hand covered his mouth from behind, stifling the shriek. Before he could blink, Tory felt the cold steel of a scalpel slice his throat from ear to ear. A gurgle rose, with blood spraying on the door in front of him from the deep gash across his neck. His eyes glazed as the killer threw him to the floor. Tory clenched his throat, gurgling, futily trying to stop the blood from flowing. He saw boots and a uniform dimly before the darkness closed in around him. His killer knelt down and searched his pockets, finding the scrap of paper. A wicked smile crossed the killer's face as he pocketed the scrap and left, cutting the lights out as he went.

A couple minutes later, an orderly entered the room, turned on the lights, and nearly fell over Tory's body. She screamed upon seeing the body, fleeing the room to summon security.

* * *

Meanwhile down at the bay, a man in a trench coat, blue jeans, leather hat, and boots walked on the 787 bridge, heading north. A leather belt held his coat shut and the collar was up, helping to break the wind and conceal his features. He approached the barricades blocking the traffic to the bridge, seeing two soldiers on guard.

"Halt!" one soldier barked, training his machine gun on the man. The second soldier pointed his weapon as well, shouting, "This is a restricted area. Leave now or you will be shot!"

The man in the trench coat stopped twenty feet away as a wicked smile crossed his face. "Is that a fact?" he replied. "Why's this bridge closed? Did something happen here?" The icy tone of his voice sent chills down the soldier's spines and they pulled the bolts on their guns.

"I told you to leave, asshole!" the first soldier snapped. "This bridge is off limits to the public. Why is none of your concern. Now get the hell out of here!" He squeezed off a round, which hit a foot in front of the man with the trench coat. "The next one will be between your eyes. Get lost, you shit, before you get hurt."

The man looked up at the soldiers and they saw his maroon eyes. His smile grew broader and more menacing. "Look friend…don't do something you'll regret. I'm just passing through. The place I'm heading is on the other side of this bridge and time is of the essence. If you can't give me a good reason why I shouldn't cross here, then let me pass. However, don't threaten me. I'm not your enemy."

When the soldiers saw his maroon eyes, a gasp escaped their lips. Their eyes grew wide and sweat instantly formed on their hands and face while an icy chill gripped their hearts. As they squeezed the triggers of their weapons, the man growled, "Not wise, my friends." In the blink of an eye, their weapons sheared off just in front of the trigger, falling to the concrete in several pieces. The soldier's faces went pale as they stared at the butts of the machine guns in their hands. Instantly, they reached for their pistols. As they pulled them, the pistols fell apart in their hands as if something had smashed them. Panic set in as the man in the trench coat stepped toward them with a gleam in his maroon eyes. "I told you not to do that," he hissed. "Don't make me hurt you."

The second soldier pulled his radio and shouted into it, "Help…we're under attack! It's a diclonius!"

The radio crumbled in the soldier's hand as the man in the trench coat shook his head, saying, "You shouldn't have done that. You could've avoided this if you had just let me pass and not been such asses, calling for help. I had no intention of hurting you. However, now I'm going to have to do something you'll regret." Their faces grew ashened in terror as he stood before them, his smile burning a hole in their souls. "Goodbye, gentlemen." One went flying through the barricade. He screamed and landed with a thud, a large piece of a two-by-four from the barricade sticking out of his chest. The second soldier sailed toward the concrete bridge rail as if he'd been shot out of a gun. Within a second, he hit head first, crushing his skull down to his jaw, leaving nothing but a pulpy, bloody mess. The man in the trench coat sighed and shook his jacket. "Stupid, foolish humans…when will they learn? I gave them every chance. Oh well, time to get moving. I don't have much time to find her before he does." He walked past the dead soldiers without a second glance. A hundred yards from the barricade, he stopped, seeing the spot where the SAT team ambushed Lucy.

Looking around at the pockmarks and bloodstains on the bridge, he sighed. The sounds of the event echoed in his ears. A tear formed in his eye as he sensed Lucy's thoughts and feelings still lingering there. "Kohta…I'm sorry," Lucy whispered as she fell off the bridge. The man could still hear it echoing in the wind as he put his hands on the rail where Lucy plummeted into the bay.

"You're strong to have survived the attack here, milady. I'm impressed," he murmured. "But you're not strong enough to take the King in your present condition. Be still and wait for me. I'm coming." As he spoke, the drone of heavy helicopters arose, approaching his position. A growl rose from his center as he scanned the area, seeing two helicopter gunships approaching from the west and flashing lights from the north and south ends of the bridge. "Well, that didn't take long…guess it's time for me to disappear again." Six vectors spun from his back and coiled around him completely. His form faded away as the lights descended on his position.

Moments later, the gunships circled, shining their lights on the bridge while a platoon of soldiers rushed to where he'd vanished. "Where'd she go?" one of the soldiers shouted, not knowing the figure was a man. "She was here just a minute ago. I know I saw her!"

"Fan out and search everywhere," the platoon leader barked. "That monster's here somewhere. Find him…shoot to kill!" The soldiers spread out as the platoon leader shouted into his radio to the gunships, "Search the water and under the bridge. That freak's here. Find her and send her to back to hell!" The gunships backed away, beginning a search of the water.

A couple minutes later, the man in the trench coat reappeared a half mile past the northern barricade, laughing. "Stupid shits…" he cackled, looking back at the bridge. "They have no idea who they're dealing with. I walked right by them and they didn't see me. What dopes! If I didn't have to find milady so quickly, I'd go back and have some fun with them. However, I can't. Time is of the essence. She needs me." He flashed them his middle finger in a military salute and strode away, disappearing into the shadows laughing madly at their stupidity.

* * *

The grandfather clock struck 1:00 AM at Kaeda House when Myra finished treating Lucy. She fastened the last bandage and looked at everyone, saying, "Good work…I believe she'll pull through now. There's one last thing we need to do…give her a transfusion."

Kohta looked at Lucy, who lay unconscious from the painkillers and sedative she received when they started treating her three hours previously. A drained, but relieved look decorated his face.

"A transfusion?" Nana asked. "What's that?"

"It's when we give one person's blood to another to replace what they lost, Nana," Yuka stated wearily. "It has to be the same type or it will not work. If we give Nyu the wrong blood type, her body will reject it and possibly kill her. So it has to be the right type."

"Indeed," Myra stated. "I checked her blood with the analyzer when we started and it's a very rare type…AB negative. Is there anyone here who has that blood type?"

"I don't know," Yuka answered. "I know I'm not. My blood type is O positive. I don't know about everyone else."

"What about the rest of you…any ideas on your blood type?" Myra asked. "I very well can't do it for mine is A positive." Kohta, Mayu, and Nana shook their heads no.

"Hmmm…I guess we'll have to test everyone and pray we find a match," Myra stated. "I'll take a sample from each of you and run it through the analyzer."

"How are you going to do that?" Nana asked fearfully.

"Just a prick on your finger, sweetie…that's all. It won't hurt," Myra stated professionally. Nana's face went pale as Mayu and Kohta looked at her with great concern.

Yuka saw the look on Nana's face and said, "It won't hurt, Nana. It's just a little prick."

"I…I…don't think I can," Nana stammered, slowly backing away.

"It won't hurt, I promise," Myra cooed. "Let me show you." With that, she took a clean needle and pricked her ring finger, drawing a tiny drop of blood from it. "See…it doesn't hurt and I only need a drop."

"You don't understand. I just can't…not from my fingers," Nana cried. "Kohta, do I have to?"

Kohta shook his head, saying, "No, Nana…you don't."

"I want to help; but I just don't want to give from my fingers," Nana whimpered. "Can you get it from somewhere else?"

"What's wrong, Nana?" Yuka asked. "It's just your finger. Why don't you want us to prick your finger?" She suddenly reached out and grasped Nana's wrist.

"No…let go, Yuka! Take it from my upper arm but not my fingers!" Nana pleaded, pulling away.

"Let her go!" Kohta shouted, coming to Nana's assistance.

"Please, let her go, Yuka," Mayu begged, grabbing Yuka around the waist. "You shouldn't make her if she doesn't want to."

"Let her go, Yuka," Myra agreed. "I can get blood from her arm. It's all right."

As Myra spoke, Yuka noticed Nana had no pulse at her wrist. "Nana…what's wrong? Where's your pulse?" she asked in shock as Kohta tried to get Yuka to release Nana's wrist. Nana's arm suddenly came off above the elbow, sending her falling on her butt next to Lucy while Yuka and Mayu flew the opposite direction, smashing into the wall with Yuka still holding onto the prosthetic limb. Kohta stumbled back and tripped on Lucy's legs, falling flat on his back and smashing his head against the floor. Stars exploded when he hit, temporarily knocking him senseless. Mayu smacked her head against the wall with a cry.

Nana stared in utter terror at Yuka while she looked at Nana's prosthetic arm. "Oh dear," Myra breathed. "No wonder you didn't want me to prick your fingers."

Yuka gaped at the arm, and then Nana as Mayu rose, holding her head. Kohta struggled to his feet with a curse, rushing to Nana's side. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Yuka's gaze turned to Kohta as she asked pointedly, "Did you know about this?"

Mayu grabbed the arm from Yuka and returned it to Nana. "Well?" Yuka demanded, her face starting to flush.

"No…he didn't know. No one did," Nana lied, putting the arm back on and flexing her fingers.

"Wait just a minute," Kohta blurted out. "There's to be no more lies in this family. It's already caused enough grief." Nana looked at him with shock and fear. He smiled confidently at her and turned to Yuka, saying, "Yes…I knew. Something happened and she lost her limbs. Her adoptive father, the one we set up the marker for outside, gave her special prosthetics to replace them before he died."

Yuka's mouth fell open in shock. Her eye turned to Mayu, who nodded, admitting, "I knew, too. I knew it from the beginning. We didn't tell you because we were afraid. I'm sorry, Yuka. Please don't be mad."

Yuka's face flushed crimson. "This is unbelievable! How could you? I trusted you…all of you! And you, Kohta…you knew better and should've told me! First Nyu and now this…how can I trust any of you ever again?" Tears of rage welled up in her eyes as she jumped to her feet, screaming, "I hate all of you!" She rushed out, crying hysterically, slamming the door as she went.

"You should go talk to her, Kohta," Myra said softly. "You didn't mean to hide this from her, did you?"

Kohta sighed, shaking his head. "No...we didn't. I actually didn't know until a few hours ago."

"Go and talk to her while I test Mayu and Nana for their blood types," she ordered. "Lucy needs that blood soon or she won't make it."

Kohta rose and went after Yuka. He found her storming across the courtyard. "Yuka…wait!" he called out, running after her. Wanta heard the commotion and came out of the doghouse to see what was going on.

She kept moving until Kohta grabbed her by the arm. She swung around and clocked him in the side of the head with her clenched fist. "Don't you ever touch me again, you liar!" she raged as his head jerked to the side from the hit. "I don't ever want to see you again! Go and live with Lucy, Nyu…whatever she is! I hope she betrays you the same way you betrayed me! I'm not going to live in the same house with that split personality! Who knows what this Lucy is? Maybe she's a killer. If you want to stay with her, that's fine by me. But as of now, I'm done with you! I'm not going to be second to a schizoid who may murder me in my sleep!"

Kohta rubbed the side of his face as he stared at her, still holding onto her arm firmly to keep her from leaving. Wanta began to bark. "Yuka…you don't mean that," he whispered, feeling her words shred his heart in pieces.

"I do, Kohta!" she roared between her sobs. "Ever since we found Nyu on the beach, I've been second banana to her. You were supposed to marry me, not her! Well, I'm not going to do this any more! It's over, Kohta! Now let me go!"

He released her arm, begging, "Please…don't go. We need you…I need you. Mayu needs you. Nana needs you. Even Nyu needs you. I know you're angry with us for hiding Nana's condition. Shoot, I didn't know until a few hours ago. I always intended to tell you, but just didn't get a chance to. So, please…just calm down and let me explain it to you. Once you know why, you'll understand."

"I think not," Yuka hissed, face twisted from rage and grief. "You've done nothing but lie to me since we found that bitch on the beach! No more lies, Kohta…I'm done with them and you. Goodbye! I hope she kills you in your sleep!" She suddenly punched him in the belly with all her might, knocking the wind out of him as he fell to the ground. As he laid holding his belly and gasping for breath, she stopped at the tombstones for Nyu and Kurama, kicking them over. Wanta retreated from the confrontation into the doghouse. The puppy watched with large soft eyes, whining softly.

Kohta saw Yuka kick the markers over, and then storm toward the front gate. As she reached the front gate, his breath returned and he moaned, "Yuka…please don't go! I love you!"

She stopped at the gate and stood there for a moment before turning. Kohta sat on his hands and knees looking up at her with a swollen eye and a pleading look. "I'm…begging you…Yuka," he pleaded. "Don't leave us, please. We all love you." As he spoke, Myra appeared on the stoop with Mayu and Nana.

"Don't do this, Yuka," Myra called out. "I know you care for them. Don't let your anger rip your family apart."

"Shut up, Myra!" Yuka barked. "You have no idea how it feels to be betrayed like this! I do everything I can to help them and this is the thanks I get? I wish I never met any of you!"

"You don't mean that!" Mayu cried, tears beginning to drain down her cheeks.

"I do!" Yuka retorted, tears dripping out of her eyes. "None of this would have happened if we hadn't found that freak on the beach!"

Nana's eyes grew wide in horror. Tears welled up as she suddenly rushed away, wailing. Mayu rushed after her and Myra walked toward Yuka with a scowl on her face. "Yuka…you're being irrational," Myra rebuked as she passed Kohta, who'd just gotten to his feet. "The lies weren't deliberate. This much I can see. I don't know if you realize it, but there's much more going on here with Lucy and Nana than you can comprehend. They need your help more than you can ever imagine. I saw how concerned you were for them when you came to me earlier this evening. I know you love them. But what I'm seeing now is nothing but irrational pride and jealousy! Kohta is here begging you to stay. He's trying right his mistake and you're being pig-headed and unforgiving. He's your cousin, for Christ's sake. Can't you forgive him?"

Myra stopped in front of Yuka and glared at her. "No! Why should I?" Yuka snapped, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Because you're family," Myra answered coldly.

"Not any more," Yuka growled. "He's broken my heart for the last time."

"You don't mean that," Kohta wheezed, stopping beside Myra.

"I do, Kohta," Yuka hissed. "I never want to see you again, ever!"

Myra shook her head. "Look Yuka…you're upset. Go for a walk and cool off. When you calm down, you'll know what you need to do."

"You're not my mother, Myra…so butt out!" Yuka snarled. "I should've never brought you here."

"Yuka…don't do it," Kohta pleaded.

"It's already done, Kohta. Goodbye!" she hissed, turning back to the gate. Kohta reached for her and she growled, "Touch me again, and I'll kill you, Kohta." As she reached for the gate, the power failed, plunging everything into darkness, causing her to pause. The light from the waning gibbous moon shown down into the courtyard, bathing everything in its pale glow. Kohta heard a familiar sound outside the gate he'd heard before…one of a machine gun bolt being pulled. In the blink of an eye, he visualized everyone at Kaeda House being gunned down in front of him.

The faceless intruder opened fire through the door, killing Yuka and Myra instantly. The blood from the bullets shredding their chests splashed all over him as he stared in helpless shock. Seconds later, bullets graced him with their stinging kiss, perforating his chest and belly. He stood there in shock and pain as he watched the back of Yuka's head explode. She fell to the ground with a sickening plop. Myra collapsed with a cry…her chest chewed to bits by the bullets and a gaping hole in the side of her head. Everything became hazy as he dropped to the ground facing the front of the house. Mayu and Nana rushed out of the house to be greeted by gunfire. Both flew back against the house, their chests torn asunder by the hail of bullets. Kohta saw a boot and a camouflaged uniform dimly step next to him. A deep, echoing voice called to him, saying, "I told you I'd be back if you lied to me. Now watch while I kill that bitch."

"No…" Kohta moaned, unable to move as the assassin walked toward the house. Another burst of gunfire ripped the puppy, Wanta, apart. He watched the killer walk on the porch and put bullets in the heads of Nana and Mayu, cackling with glee. "No…don't," Kohta moaned as his life ebbed out of the bullet holes in his chest. Seconds later after the killer had entered the house, Kohta heard a burst of gunfire, followed by silence. Darkness began to close about him as he heard footsteps. Moments later, Lucy's eyeless head fell in front of his face as the killer howled with delight.

"I finally got that bitch!" the killer crowed. "Now look at your girlfriend for it will be the last sight you have." Kohta stared into Lucy's empty eye sockets…all hope lost. A gunshot followed and he jerked, everything going black.

In the darkness, a voice whispered to him, "The future isn't set and even the weakest of people can change the course of history. Do not succumb to this fate. ACT NOW, KOHTA!" Kohta suddenly woke out of his nightmare scenario as he heard the bolt sliding on the machine gun. The devastated, hopeless look on his face changed instantly to one of power and concern for his family as adrenaline rushed through him. With only a moment to act, he didn't hesitate.

"Yuka, get down!" he shouted, tackling Yuka to the ground while shoving Myra to the side as a machine gun riddled the gate with bullets. "Myra…get inside and protect Lucy!" Kohta ordered while he dragged Yuka away from the door. Wanta began barking madly from inside the doghouse, growling viciously at the intruder. Someone started kicking on the gate as Kohta rolled Yuka over. Blood covered her chest from several bullet wounds. "Oh no…Yuka!" he cried. She stared at him with an astonished look and coughed, spewing blood on him. "Hold on, Yuka…please don't die," he wept, scooping her up and fleeing to the house.

Halfway across the courtyard, he heard the gate splinter, followed by more gunfire. Bullets pelted the ground around him as he ran toward the front door with Yuka. A bullet ripped through his leg immediately above the knee as he crashed through the door. Myra closed and locked it after he cleared the door, falling to the floor with a shriek. He turned sideways as he fell, cushioning Yuka's fall. Upon seeing Kohta's leg wound, Myra ripped off a piece of her skirt and tied it around the wound. He screamed in pain when she tied the makeshift bandage. "There, that should help. Now, give her to me!" Myra ordered, taking Yuka as Mayu and Nana came running. Seconds later, another burst of gunfire erupted. They heard Wanta yelp, and then silence.

"Oh no! Wanta!" Mayu gasped. However, when she saw Yuka's chest perforated and Kohta bleeding from his leg, she forgot all about the puppy. Mayu and Nana helped him up as Myra rushed to Lucy's room with Yuka.

"Nana…you've got to help us," Kohta pleaded. "You're the only one who can now. If you don't, these guys are going to kill us all."

"Why should I?" Nana sobbed. "It's obvious I was never wanted here."

Kohta reached out and grabbed her hand. Pain etched his face as he looked in her eye, saying, "That's not true and you know it. Yuka's out of her mind…she didn't know what she was saying. You are wanted and needed here. We all need you, especially now. Please help us. If not for us, then do it for Lucy. Don't let what's happening here take what you've found away."

She suddenly hugged him and cried, "Oh Kohta…you mean that?"

"Absolutely," Kohta replied. "Every word…now will you help us?"

"I'll try," Nana whimpered as they fled deeper into the house. "What do you want me to do?"

"We need to set a trap for these guys," Kohta answered with a grimace. "I'll lure them into the kitchen where you'll be waiting for them. Use those hands you have to knock them out."

"You want me to use my hands hurt them?" Nana questioned. "I've never used my hands to hurt anyone."

"Just knock them out so we can tie them up," Kohta explained. "I don't want you to kill them."

"Okay," she replied hesitantly.

"Go and hide until we can lure them in there," Kohta ordered. While Nana retreated into the kitchen, he turned to Mayu and ordered, "Go and hide, Mayu."

"No, Kohta…I'm staying with you," she retorted. "I'm not letting you do this alone."

Seconds later, bullets riddled the lock of the front door and it crashed open. A shadowy figure with a machine gun jumped through the door and flashed a light in their eyes. "Go, Mayu…Run!" Kohta barked, pushing Mayu toward the kitchen as the machine gun sang its song. A hail of bullets barely missed them, riddling the grandfather clock…stopping it at 1:25 AM. The shadowy figure pursued them, shouting, "I've come for that bitch. Where is she?"

He stopped at the clock, waving his weapon and light to the left, and then to the right. Kohta immediately recognized the voice. "I don't know what you're talking about, Bandoh!" Kohta shouted from the right while hiding around the corner. "She's dead, remember? Your bastard buddies killed her! I saw it happen!"

Bandoh opened fire and Kohta retreated with Mayu into the kitchen. Seconds later, Bandoh rushed the corner and saw the door to the kitchen waving. "I told you I'd be back if I found out you lied to me, you lousy piece of shit," he cursed. "She's alive and I've tracked her here. Now you'll die with her."

"Says you," Kohta replied tartly. "Come and get us, you bastard!"

"You'll regret that, punk!" Bandoh hissed. He opened fire with his machine gun, shredding the kitchen door with bullets until the gun ran out of ammo. "Shit!" he cursed, throwing the empty weapon down and pulling his fifty-caliber pistol. He edged up to the door and kicked it in, breaking it completely off the hinges. It flew across the kitchen and smashed against the refrigerator with a crash. Moments later, he strode in boldly, holding his pistol ready. In seconds, he found Kohta and Mayu huddled in the corner next to the stove. A smile crossed his face as he trained his pistol on them. When he saw Mayu's face, his grin grew wider. "Well, looks I've two-for-one. I told you the next time you saw me, I'd kill you, kid. Now, where's the freak?"

"Not here!" Kohta answered as Mayu cowered behind him.

"You're lying," Bandoh hissed, pulling back the hammer on his pistol. "One last chance…where's that bitch?" Kohta glared at him rebelliously, refusing to answer. When Bandoh saw the glare, he snarled, "Time's up, punk." He squeezed the trigger and Kohta shielded Mayu, covering her eyes with his hands.

Clang! A heavy stainless pressure-cooking pot came out of nowhere and knocked the pistol out of Bandoh's hand, sending it skidding out the kitchen door. "What the…" he hissed as a cast-iron skillet smashed him on the side of the face. Next, Bandoh felt something pull his feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor face first. His nose crushed upon impact and he howled with pain. Then he found himself wailed upon by two cast-iron frying pans. After a few moments of fighting with the pans, he managed to get one and hurtle it across the room. By a stroke of sheer luck, it connected with Nana's head in the darkness of the kitchen, knocking her senseless. Upon hearing her cry, he got up and saw her staggering from the hit. "Why you little…I should've killed your freaking ass the last time I saw you!" He rushed across the kitchen, drawing his knife. "I'm going to gut you, you little monster!"

A sledgehammer left cross connected with Nana's skull and she saw stars, crumbling before the blow. He pounced on her, grabbed her by the throat with his left hand, and lifted her high off the floor. Smashing her against the wall several times, he raged, "Fuck with me, will you, bitch? I'm going to make you wish you were never born!"

Nana hovered on the verge of unconsciousness when he bodyslammed her down on the kitchen table. Her prosthetic arms and legs came loose and scattered across the floor from the slam. Bandoh raised his knife in his right hand. "I'm going to rip your guts out while you're still breathing, freak."

"No!" Mayu cried out, eyes wide with horror.

Bandoh glanced at her and snarled, "Don't worry. You're next, bitch."

"I don't think so," Kohta growled, pointing Bandoh's fifty-caliber pistol at him. "Let her go."

Bandoh smiled viciously. "You don't have the guts to pull the trigger. Just stand there and watch as I scatter this bitch's guts all over this kitchen." The knife came down and Mayu screamed.

A gunshot followed. Bandoh's hand jerked to the right and the knife flew from his hand, sticking in the kitchen wall beside him. A cry of pain erupted and he turned his hate-filled gaze towards Kohta, seeing him still standing there with the gun trained on him. However, that wasn't the source of the shot. Standing beside him was Myra with a forty-five automatic leveled at Bandoh's head. Smoke curled from the end of the barrel. "Let her go," Myra growled.

Bandoh looked at his right hand, seeing it demolished. The bullet had shattered the cybernetic hand, leaving the linkages in pieces with a huge hole through his palm. His eyes turned back to Myra, filled with rage. "You're so dead, bitch," he roared. "I don't need a gun or even two hands to kill this freak. I'll break her neck with one hand before you can blink. When I'm done with her, I'll rip your hearts out…all of you!" His face was nearly purple while the veins protruded from his neck during his rant.

Kohta didn't blink. His face grew stern and Bandoh's gun discharged before he finished his rant. The pistol kicked violently out of Kohta's hand, knocking him square on the forehead, between the eyes, before flying into the corner next to the stove. Kohta felt the unforgiving steel of the pistol split his head and fell flat on his back from the impact…blood running from a gash on his forehead where the pistol struck him. The sound of the discharge filled the room, shaking the dishes and drowning out Bandoh's last words. The .50BMG bullet struck Bandoh in his left arm, severing it five inches above the elbow. It continued into his ribcage just above the spleen on the front. In the blink of an eye, his back exploded...sending pieces of flesh and bone out like shrapnel that splattered on the wall beside him. Pieces of his spine stuck in the wall as the force of the impact threw him through the kitchen window. While plummeting down the mountainside, Bandoh's last coherent thought was, _Damned shit…I didn't think he'd really do it!_

Bandoh bounced several times, tumbling awkwardly, his body twisting in several directions at the same time as he bounced off the trees, leaving a trail of blood and pieces of his internal organs. With the last bounce, he tumbled off a sixty-foot retaining wall, falling head first to the road below. Death claimed him just as he hit, crushing his skull and pulverizing what was left of his body.

Back in the kitchen, Mayu's eyes were wide as saucers and her mouth hung open in astonishment. "He killed him," she breathed, tears dripping out of her eyes. "Kohta actually killed that maniac."

Myra rushed to Nana, seeing Bandoh's hand still clamped around her throat. She tossed her pistol on the table and pried the severed hand and arm loose from Nana's throat, throwing it down on the floor. "Nana…Nana!" Myra cried, seeing her face had turned blue. She laid her head down on Nana's chest, listening carefully. Nana's heartbeat was almost non-existent and she wasn't breathing. Immediately, Myra ripped open Nana's shirt and began CPR on her with a vigorous chest massage. "Come on, girl…don't give up," Myra cried. "Come on!"

Kohta moaned and Mayu quickly came to his assistance. "Kohta…are you all right?" Mayu asked while Myra continued her resuscitation of Nana. He moaned again and shook his head. Seconds later, he opened his eyes and saw a blurry form hovering over him. "Kohta…Kohta, are you okay?" Mayu asked again, her voice echoing in his ears.

"What happened? Where am I?" he replied, reaching up and holding his forehead with his left hand. He felt something warm and sticky there.

"You're in the kitchen, Kohta," Mayu replied in awe, tears running down her cheeks.

Kohta pulled his hand from his forehead and managed to focus on it, seeing blood. His eyes grew wide as he struggled to sit up. Mayu grabbed him by the upper right arm, pulling him into a sitting position. His eyes focused on Mayu's face, seeing tears and a very relieved look on her face. "Mayu…why am I bleeding?"

"The gun hit you in the face when you shot Bandoh," she replied. "You saved us all."

His face went blank as his eyes opened wide. "I did what?"

"Bandoh attacked us and you shot him with his own gun as he was about to kill Nana," Mayu explained.

Kohta's head throbbed painfully as he tried to remember exactly what happened. Then the pain from his leg wound smashed against his skull and he remembered what happened. His eyes darted to the table where Myra furiously worked to revive Nana. "Nana!" he cried, struggling to his feet with Mayu's assistance and hobbling to the table. The first thing he saw was Bandoh's arm lying on the floor in front of a huge, bloody hole in the wall where the kitchen window used to be, speckled with bone fragments and chunks of organs. He became nauseous, turning his gaze to Myra and Nana.

"Come on, girl…come on," Myra pleaded while pumping Nana's chest. "Wake up." She then leaned down and breathed into her mouth several times, waiting to hear the air escaping with each breath.

"Oh no…" Kohta moaned. "I was too late to save her." Tears began flowing with the blood that dribbled down his face from the nasty gash on his forehead. His right arm began tingling just above the wrist. Yet, he ignored it as the same arm began to swell.

Myra went back to pumping Nana's chest, panting, "Don't give up yet, Kohta…there's still hope. Come on, Nana…wake up. Please, wake up, girl!" Kohta leaned heavily on Mayu, his emotions frozen in limbo as he watched Myra trying to save Nana.

"Come on, Nana…don't you die on me too!" Kohta pleaded softly. A couple of seconds later, Nana's finger twitched.

"Kohta…look," Mayu breathed, pointing to Nana's fingers. He held his breath as Myra finished breathing for Nana, resuming the chest massage. Suddenly, Nana's back arched and a hoarse gasp escaped her lips, followed by a fit of coughing.

Myra immediately ceased the chest massage and leaned down close to Nana's face, seeing the color returning. "That's it…come back to us," Myra cooed, holding Nana's head gently with one hand.

Nana's eyelids flickered as the coughing subsided. Kohta covered his mouth with his left hand, inadvertently tasting his own blood. Tears gushed, dripping off his chin. Mayu gasped, holding tight to Kohta to support him. A moan rose from Nana as her eyes opened, seeing Myra with tears and a very relieved look on her face. "I thought we'd lost you there for a moment, girl," Myra said softly with a wide smile, her tears dripping off her chin.

"What happened?" Nana moaned.

"Kohta saved your life," Myra said softly. "He shot the man who was trying to kill you."

Nana's eyes grew wide. She tilted her head toward Kohta, seeing blood running down his face from a gash on his forehead. Mayu stood next to him, supporting his weight as he sobbed joyously.

"You did that for me?" Nana whispered. Kohta could only nod yes, being too distraught to speak.

"He did, sweetie," Myra stated. "He saved everyone. That lunatic was going to kill everyone here. After he shot the guy, I found you weren't breathing and performed CPR on you. How do you feel?"

Nana stared in shock at Myra. "You saved me?"

"Technically…yes, Nana," Myra said. "But Kohta saved us all by shooting that madman. I didn't even have a chance to blink before he pulled the trigger. That's the bravest thing I've ever seen. He must love you very much."

Nana glanced at Kohta, seeing his sobs subsiding to whimpers. "You really do love me," she breathed…awed by Kohta's actions.

"Yes," he whimpered. "I do. You're a part of this family and I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep you safe….Yuka! What about Yuka?"

"She's gravely injured," Myra stated. "But she's alive for the moment. I stopped the bleeding the best I could before I came down here. We need to get back to her right now. How's the leg, Kohta?"

"Hurts like hell," he answered. "But we must help Yuka first. Don't worry about me."

"How about you, Nana?" Myra asked. "Are you all right now?"

"I think so," Nana moaned as she tried to sit up.

"You should take it easy," Myra ordered her. "We're out of danger for the moment." Without a second thought, she scooped Nana up and headed out of the kitchen, saying, "Come on…we need to help Yuka. We'll come back for your prosthetics."

Only at that point did Nana realize she'd lost her prosthetic arms and legs. "Okay," she whispered, unable to comprehend the violence that had just occurred.

Kohta and Mayu followed Myra back to Lucy's room, seeing Yuka stretched out next to Lucy with blood-soaked bandages around her chest and Lucy awake, propped up on her right arm looking at her.

When they entered, Lucy turned and looked at Kohta with weak eyes, whispering hoarsely, "What's going on?" Seeing the bloody leg and gash on his head, she gasped. "You're hurt! Who did this?" She turned an icy glare to Myra while lying back down with a groan.

"Bandoh did this," Kohta moaned while Mayu sat him down next to Lucy. "He shot Yuka, me, and nearly killed Nana looking for you. Nana, Mayu, and I lured him into the kitchen to try and ambush him. However, things went wrong. I shot him with his own gun before he could kill Nana." He paused a moment as he began to comprehend what he did. He choked and covered his mouth with his left hand. Tears rose and spilled onto his bloody cheeks. "I killed him…I killed him with his own gun." Sobs began to rise uncontrollably as he leaned on his right hand. The sobs became a shriek of pain. He grabbed his arm just above the wrist, bawling in agony.

"What's wrong, Kohta?" Mayu cried with concern. When she saw the condition of his arm, she gasped. "Kohta…what's happened to your arm? It's black and all swollen up!"

Myra rushed to his side and pried his left hand off his right arm, seeing its terrible condition. She gently felt it and he screamed. "God damn it…that pistol broke his arm," Myra cursed as everyone looked on in concern. "I should've realized a pistol of that caliber would do this to someone of his build. Kohta…don't put any pressure on the arm and keep it still. I'm going to have to set it."

"Will it hurt?" Nana asked from her position on the far side of Yuka.

"I'm afraid it will. But we have to set it," Myra stated.

Kohta's face tightened as he took his arm back from Myra, saying, "Do it later. I can wait. Yuka's dying. You have to try and save her."

The flame of concern in his eyes caused Myra to nod, saying, "You're absolutely right. Yuka's condition is much more critical than yours is. Just keep that arm immobilized for now." Turning to Mayu, she ordered, "Mayu, go get some ice for his arm, and then clean and bind that wound on his leg again before he looses any more blood."

"Right," Mayu answered, rushing out of the room. Myra went to her bag and pulled a clean syringe out and a bottle of morphine. She drew a small dose and returned to Kohta.

"I'm going to give you some morphine for the pain," she announced. He gritted his teeth as she administered the drug into his left arm at the elbow. "There…that should help with the pain." She quickly returned to Yuka and began to treat her.

Mayu returned moments later with an icepack wrapped in a towel. "Here, Kohta," she said softly, placing the icepack on his right arm. He winced when it touched the swollen arm and then sighed, holding it there with his left hand while letting the arm rest on his good leg.

"Thanks, Mayu," he whimpered as the morphine began to kick in.

Mayu smiled and scrambled to the bag of medical supplies, dragging it to Kohta. "Cut off his pants leg and the tourniquet to get to the wound, Mayu," Myra called out.

"Yes, ma'am," Mayu answered, retrieving a scalpel. Looking Kohta in the eye, she said, "I'm going to clean that wound now, just like we did for Nyu."

Kohta nodded as his pain dropped to a tolerable level and everything seemed to float. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked at Lucy. While Mayu cut his pants leg off and tended to his leg wound, he moaned, "Why does Fate hate me so? Why does everyone I love end up hurt or dead?" He thought about killing Bandoh again and tears welled up. Sobs began to bubble out as he whimpered, "I killed a man. I've taken someone's life. It can't be undone."

Lucy reached over and touched him on his good leg. Tears rolled out of her eyes as he looked down at her. "How do you cope with something like this?" he sobbed, wincing when Mayu carefully probed the wound for foreign material.

"Myra…the hole goes all the way through his leg!" Mayu cried. "It's also bleeding all over everything. What do I do?"

"Don't panic," Myra called out as she worked on Yuka. "That's actually a good sign. It means we don't need to dig out the bullet and the wound is cleansing itself. Have you cleaned it up?"

"Yes," Mayu whimpered. "The best I can. But it's still bleeding badly. What do I do now?"

"Just a moment," Myra stated as she turned to her bag. In seconds, she moved over to Kohta and displayed a small can with a probe attached to it.

"What's that?" Mayu asked.

"This is a surgical patch the military uses in war zones," Myra explained. "We use it in hospitals for gunshot wounds like this. Remember, I told you what they were when we used them to seal Lucy's wounds."

"Oh…I remember now," Mayu replied softly. "I'm sorry I forgot."

"It's all right, Mayu," Myra chimed. "Don't worry about it. You've done very well under the circumstances. I'm just glad I decided to bring a few extras from the hospital. It looks like we're going to need them after all. Now hold still, Kohta, this is going to hurt a bit." Without warning, Myra shoved the probe on the can into his wound and pushed a button on the can. Kohta screamed, grabbing for the can as he felt something fill the hole in his leg…setting his leg on fire. "Mayu…hold him!" Myra ordered and Mayu grabbed his arms. Kohta bawled as Myra slowly pulled the probe back. Lucy's eyes grew wide and a single vector spun from her back. As Myra pulled the probe out of Kohta's leg, Lucy's vector shoved Myra away from Kohta while knocking the probe out of her hand.

"That's enough," Lucy hissed as Myra tumbled against the wall. "He's in enough pain already. Kohta doesn't need any more. Do that again and I'll kill you."

Myra saw Lucy's icy glare while she pushed herself to her knees. A look of cautious concern crossed Myra's face as she asked, "Did you push me, Lucy?"

"Yes," Lucy growled softly, noticing Kohta was no longer in agonizing pain. "Kohta's all I have left. I'll protect him with my life. Hurt him again and you won't live to hurt anyone else."

Mayu stared at Lucy, fear rising. "Nyu..." Mayu whispered.

"Mayu…is his wound still bleeding?" Myra asked, cautiously approaching.

Mayu looked, seeing the blood flow having subsided to a trickle. "It's working…he's not bleeding as bad as before. What's that stuff made of?"

Myra knelt down next to Kohta and sighed, saying, "It's a new item that has revolutionized medicine. It's an organic sealer developed by the military to seal wounds on the battlefield. It's placed in the wound and expands, sealing the breech so the person doesn't bleed to death. Mayu…take a clean bandage and wrap it tightly. Sometimes the patch doesn't hold so we need to make sure it stays put." Looking at Kohta, she apologized, "I'm sorry it hurt so much. But it had to be done to keep you from bleeding to death."

Sweat poured from Kohta's brow as he nodded, saying, "It's okay. I'm glad you know what you're doing. Have you used that stuff on Yuka yet?"

"I was just about to," Myra stated as Mayu wrapped Kohta's leg. "Tie it tight as you can get it, Mayu." Mayu pulled the ends of the bandage together and tied them. Kohta groaned as pain flashed through his leg.

"How's that?" Mayu asked.

"Excellent, Mayu," Myra complimented. "You've the making of a great doctor."

"Thanks," Mayu replied timidly, looking over at Nana, who had a relieved look on her face. Mayu returned to Nana's side, sitting next to her.

Myra turned to Lucy and said softly, "Lucy…It's not my intention to hurt anyone here…not you, Kohta, Mayu, Nana, or even Yuka here. I wouldn't dream of it. However, this is a triage event and I don't have the luxury of a hospital. It's my goal to keep everyone alive. Had I not acted the way I did, Kohta may have died."

"It's okay, Lucy," Kohta said with a weak smile. "I'm all right. Thank you, doctor. Now, please save Yuka."

"I'll do what I can," Myra said with a smile, quickly moving back to Yuka and checking her condition. She also kept a wary eye on Lucy while working.

Kohta looked down at Lucy and tears began to flow again. His memory returned to the killing of Bandoh once the pain had subsided. "How do you do it, Lucy…cope with killing someone? I know what I did was the right thing to do…to save you and everyone else. But how do you deal with taking someone's life?"

"Kohta…" Lucy replied softly, touching him on the leg. "I can't answer that question because I don't know. I suppose I just do and so will you. Did you really shoot that bastard?"

"I did," he sobbed. "I had no choice. He was going to kill Nana, and then the rest of us. I couldn't let that happen."

"Oh Kohta," Lucy wept. "I've never seen such love before. Not only were you willing to sacrifice yourself, but also you were willing to kill to protect those you care for. It's so beautiful."

"But I killed a man," Kohta retorted.

"…a man who was going to slaughter you and everyone you love," Myra called out. "You killed him in self-defense and in the defense of us. I saw it. That's nothing to be ashamed of. You should be proud you found the courage to protect your family like that."

"Yes," Mayu agreed. "You promised to do everything within your power to keep us together and safe. I saw something in the kitchen I've never seen before…a promise kept. You saved us all from that lunatic." She walked to Kohta and wrapped her arms around him, holding him. "I'm proud to call you my dad."

"Thank you," Kohta whimpered, glancing at Lucy, seeing a faint smile on her lips. "But I'll carry this for the rest of my life."

"That you will," Myra stated while carefully examining Yuka. "The only question is how you let it affect you." A few seconds later, she gasped. "Where are the bullets? I know they didn't go all the way through. There were no exit wounds. I don't understand this."

Lucy looked at Myra for a moment, and then cast her gaze into Kohta's eyes. A wry smile crossed her face as Myra added, "And the bleeding as all but stopped. Yet, her pulse is steady. I haven't even had time to use the patch on her. This is impossible!"

Kohta stared as Lucy opened her right hand, revealing six bloody bullets. "Kohta," she murmured weakly. "I removed the bullets and stopped the bleeding when I woke up. I know how much you care for her as family. I didn't want you to watch her die…not like the last time."

Myra stared as she heard Lucy's words. Nana's mouth fell open in shock while tears burst onto Mayu's cheeks. Kohta suddenly broke down and wept deeply. "Thank you," was all he could say.

"You were able to do that? How?" Myra asked, feeling Yuka's pulse. It was weak, but steady. Her breath remained slow and consistent.

Lucy smiled dryly at Myra as the bullets floated out of her hand, traveling over to Myra. Myra cupped her hand as the bullets gently dropped in her palm. "The same way I learned that you weren't one of them," Lucy stated. "That's all you need to know for now. Is she going to survive?"

Myra stared at the bullets, and then at Lucy, saying after a long pause, "She has a much better chance now without these bullets in her. Did you clean the wounds?"

"Yes," Lucy whispered. "…the best I could. I might have been able to do more if I weren't so weak."

"Your weakness is due to a lack of blood," Myra stated, pocketing the bullets. "You badly need a transfusion. But I don't know if we can find a match for your blood type."

"Really," Lucy replied. She looked at Kohta as he sat whimpering. "It doesn't matter," she added, reaching out to Kohta with her hand. "…as long as Kohta is with me."

"We'll find a match," Kohta declared as she touched his leg. "I don't care what it takes."

"I know you will," Lucy whispered.

"Uhhh…I just had a thought," Mayu called out. "Won't all that gunfire bring the police? Surely someone heard it and called them. Do we really want to be around when they show up? I mean, if what Myra says is true, the people who are after Lucy own the police."

Myra's face fell while she used the surgical patches on Yuka's wounds. Her forehead furrowed as her eyes narrowed and a frown crossed her face. She paused and said, "You're absolutely right, Mayu. We can't stay here. This location is compromised."

"But where can we go?" Nana asked, eyes wide with fear. "Who can we trust?"

Myra looked at Lucy and Kohta, asking, "Lucy…do you trust me?"

Lucy nodded with a cynical look. "For now."

"Do you trust me now, Kohta?" Myra asked.

"Yes, I do…after seeing you save Nana's life and patching the hole in my leg," he answered groggily as the morphine began to kick in again. "But where do we go? This is the only place we've ever really called home."

"I have a safe house on the north side of Kamakura," Myra stated while patching Yuka's last wound. "It's just outside the city. No one will ever think of looking for us there. Come on, Mayu…let's get Yuka bandaged up, and then get Nana's prosthetics so we can get everyone out of here before someone comes."

Mayu nodded and within a couple minutes, Myra and Mayu had fastened the last bandage around Yuka's bare chest. "Okay, Mayu…let's get Nana's prosthetics from the kitchen. I'll be right behind you," Myra ordered. Mayu darted out of the room, heading to the kitchen. Myra checked Yuka one last time. "How is she?" Nana asked.

Myra checked Yuka's pulse, and then her breathing, followed by her eyes. "She's unconscious, but alive for now, thanks to Lucy. Under normal circumstances, I'd take her to a hospital immediately. However, as we know, these aren't normal circumstances. Kohta, keep that arm immobilized and the ice on it. I'll take care of it for you when we reach the safe house." She rummaged through her bag and pulled a sling out. Taking it to Kohta, she said, "Until then…this should help." Within seconds, she had Kohta's arm in the sling. "There…now keep the arm from moving. I'll be right back." She smiled warmly at Lucy, who watched her closely as she fitted the sling to Kohta's arm. Lucy flashed a weak smile as Kohta nodded stupidly…the morphine dulling his mind along with the pain and the shock that was setting in. With that, Myra rushed out of the room, leaving them sitting in silence.

Seconds later, she reached the kitchen. Mayu was clumsily trying to carry all of Nana's prosthetic limbs. "Hold on, Mayu…let me give you a hand," Myra called out as she picked up her forty-five automatic from the kitchen table, tucking into the belt on her skirt. Moments later, they returned to Lucy's room, giving the prosthetics to Nana. "I'm going to check to see if all's clear," Myra stated, pulling the pistol from her belt. "Be ready to go when I get back."

"Okay," Mayu and Nana chimed in unison. Myra darted out of the room again, heading for the front door while Nana reattached her prosthetics.

The pistol stayed in front of her, ready to shoot down anyone who impeded her progress. Once in the courtyard, Myra stopped at the doghouse and looked in, seeing Wanta riddled with bullets lying in a pool of blood. A scowl crossed her face. "Damned bastard…he didn't have to kill the puppy," she hissed. Moments later, she reached the side entrance to the courtyard. Stopping just to the side of the door, she kicked it open and peeked around, scanning the parking lot of the old restaurant just beyond where her car sat. Satisfied there were no immediate threats nearby, Myra edged into the doorway. A peculiar smell assaulted her nostrils coming from her car twenty feet away…a smell of gasoline. She froze as a buzzing reached her ears. "Oh shit!" she cursed, turning her face away as a snap followed. Her car exploded while she dove away. The explosion shattered the wall, sending her flying across the courtyard, landing in front of Wanta's doghouse with a shriek.

The house shook violently. "What was that?" Mayu asked fearfully.

Kohta started rising to his feet, saying, "I don't know but I don't like it. I'm going to check it out."

"No," Mayu retorted. "I'll look. You can hardly walk, Kohta."

"I'm coming with you," Nana said, rising to her feet with a groan. She staggered and Mayu helped steady her.

"Are you sure?" Mayu asked. Nana nodded and they left.

Moments later, Kohta smelled smoke. His eyes grew wide as terror rose. "Lucy…do you smell that?" he asked, pushing himself to his feet.

"Yes," she replied. "Something's burning."

A low rumble reached their ears and the house rattled violently again. Smoke began drifting in through the door. "The house is on fire!" Kohta shrieked as the smoke became visible. "They're going to burn the house with us in it! We've got to get out of here!" He looked at Lucy and Yuka…torn as to which he should take with him. Lucy rolled over and pushed herself up onto her hands and knees with a groan. Kohta grabbed her by the arm with his good arm and pulled her to her feet.

She leaned heavily upon him, looking Kohta in the eye. "We need to get out of here," she groaned. She began to cough as the smoke thickened.

Kohta eased her down onto her knees, saying, "Stay low, Lucy."

"Kohta! Lucy!" Mayu cried out, rushing in. "The house is on fire! We've got to get everyone out of here!"

"I know!" Kohta snapped, his eyes burning as a third rumble shook the house. "But how?"

"Just do it!" Myra called out, staggering in, leaning on Nana. Her clothes were charred and hair singed. Deep bruises covered her face, arms, and legs. "The bastard planted bombs before he came in here…one in my car, obviously trying to get rid of any evidence. Is there another way out of here? The fire has engulfed the courtyard and is quickly spreading into the rest of the house. We need to get out of here before it hits the gas line."

"Downstairs…the basement," Kohta answered, the adrenaline counteracting the morphine and shock. "There's a back door down there that leads to the lower part of the parking lot. It's where the staff used to park when this place was a restaurant."

"Then that's were we need to go!" Myra barked, pulling away from Nana, rushing to Yuka. She scooped her up, slowly rising to her feet. "Mayu, Nana…help Kohta and Lucy! We have to get out of this deathtrap!" Mayu and Nana rushed and helped support Lucy and Kohta while they supported each other. "Quickly…the fire is spreading fast!" Myra ordered as Kohta pointed the way to the stairs to the basement.

The fire roared into the front hall while they descended the stair. The beams and ceiling started rumbling…pieces of it falling. The inferno in the courtyard caused a tempest of wind, blowing through the front door and windows, causing the hall to become a furnace. Pictures burst into flames instantly. Glass melted. The electrical outlets sizzled and arced, causing the fire to spread through the walls. Coughing, they reached the basement and slammed the door to the upstairs just as the fire raced down the steps in a wave. It blew the door off the hinges, scattering everyone across the floor amongst the old boxes and crates.

"Is everyone all right?" Myra called out with a groan as she cradled Yuka.

"I think so!" Kohta called out, looking into Lucy's eyes. His back smoldered from where he'd shielded Lucy. "You okay?" She nodded.

"I'm all right, I think," Mayu shouted.

"We've got to get out of here!" Nana cried as she used her vectors to lift Kohta and Lucy to their feet.

"Where's the back door?" Myra shouted as the noise of the fire grew.

"Over there," he shouted, pointing to a pile of old boxes and crates on the far side of the room, fifty feet away. "It's beyond the crates!" They started toward the crates. The fire began to move into the ceiling above them from the door. Halfway there, the far wall exploded in a fireball scattering the piles of crates and boxes. Nana shrieked as the concussion knocked everyone to the floor. When Myra regained her wits, she saw their exit engulfed in a wall of flame. It began to spread around them. "Oh no," she moaned as the fire inched toward them.

"This is it," Mayu whimpered, seeing their only means of escape cut off. "We're going to die." Seconds later, the heat and smoke overwhelm her and she collapsed.

"Mayu!" Nana cried, coughing from the smoke. She crawled to Mayu and grabbed her hand. "Mayu…don't…give…up." Nana passed out from the inferno, darkness closing in around her.

Lucy shook her head to regain her stability. "No…it can't end…not like this," she moaned. When she saw Kohta unconscious, her eyes grew wide and tears flowed. The smoke burned them as the heat from the fire dried those tears in seconds. "Kohta…Kohta!" she bawled. When he didn't respond, she looked at the fire with rage. "You can't have him!" she roared. Her vectors spun out of her back and reached across the room, pushing back the burning boxes and crates, but doing nothing to the fire itself. With a shriek of pain, she retracted her vectors. "I can't reach far enough."

The ceiling groaned and began to sag over their heads, the fire burning through. Embers rained down on them as they huddled together. Lucy and Myra looked at each other, coughing. Sweat poured from them as the heat rose. Mayu and Nana had succumbed to the heat moments before and lay unconscious on the floor. Myra shielded Yuka with her body while looking Lucy in the eye. "I'm sorry, Lucy," she coughed as she began to surrender to the smoke and heat.

Lucy nodded knowingly as the smoke burned her wounded lungs. Blood began to rise in her mouth as she saw Myra pass out. Looking down at Kohta, she thought, _At least we'll die together._ Throwing herself on him to shield him, she wavered in and out of consciousness as the fire closed in around them. Finally, darkness took her…the sound of the fire fading away as she felt her flesh beginning to roast.

"Lucy…Lucy," a voice echoed in her ears. "Wake up, Lucy. Wake up." The gloom lightened and the voice became clearer as it repeatedly called to her. A cool sensation flooded her skin, replacing the searing heat and she stirred. "Come on, wake up, Lucy. We can't stay here for long. It's not safe," the voice urged.

She suddenly broke into a fit of coughing as her eyes opened. A burning house greeted her eyes, with her seeing it from outside. "Kohta…Kohta," she moaned as a blurry figure knelt and looked at her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"It's all right," the figure cooed, its voice echoing dully in her ears. "He's safe as are the rest of your friends. They're right here. Just relax, Lucy. I'm going to take care of you and your friends." The figure leaned down until he was nose to nose with her. Lucy's vision fluctuated as she saw several blurry figures lying on the ground in front of her. Coughs and moans echoed in her ears from those figures along with the roar of the fire. The figure's face briefly came into focus before she slipped back into unconsciousness, with a pair a maroon eyes fading away.

* * *

Back at the Institute, the phone rang at Kakuzawa's desk while he stared out the window toward Kamakura, seeing the tiny light of a house fire in the distance. A fireball suddenly rose high into the sky from the fire before it settled back into a flickering light. The phone rang six times before he turned to it with a sour look. Snatching the phone up, he growled, "What is it?" He listened intently and his face contorted...forehead furrowing as his eyebrows knit together. His face flushed red and the veins protruded from his neck. "He did what?" Kakuzawa roared. He smacked his fist down on the desk and cursed into the phone, "God damn him…he's crossed me the last time! Bring me his head and find Lucy!" Slamming the phone down, he growled, "Unbelievable…fifteen years of work down the toilet because of that piece of shit. Now I'm going to have to adjust my plans." Suddenly, his face went blank as a voice penetrated into his mind.

_Oh, poor Director…has someone thrown a monkey wrench into your plans for godhood?_ the voice crowed. _That's too bad. However, you plans aren't totally in the crapper because of this. Lucy still lives and if you want her, you know what you have to do. So what's your next move, half-breed?_

The voice faded away, cackling madly. Kakuzawa staggered and held his forehead with his hand. "Sixty-six," he scowled. With that, he stormed out of his office.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: How about this…isn't this an interesting turn of events? Bandoh surely played his hand to the end, didn't he? I hope everyone likes his punishment. I thought it was poetic justice for Kohta to kill him in self-defense since he'd been pretty much badgered from the beginning by the creep. But that isn't all. Now Yuka's life hangs in the balance and Lucy finds herself and those around her in saved by a mysterious diclonius when Kaeda House burns. Why did this mystery diclonius save them? What's his angle here? And the obvious question that I'm sure everyone wants answered: will Yuka live or die? We shall see. There will be plenty more surprises along the way. So I invite you to keep reading if I have captured your attention. As always, reviews are welcome and greatly appreciated. It helps me to gauge whether I'm hitting the mark correctly or not. Thanks everyone and there's lots more to come. Merry Christmas.


	7. Chapter 7 The Sanctuary

Chapter 7

The Sanctuary

Suko Arakawa stared at her computer screen at 2:15 AM, searching the Institute's files intensely. A deep frown decorated her face. "Where are you?" she hissed at her computer. "There's got to be something here…something." Several minutes later, she groaned and pushed back from her desk, swiveling the chair around so she could get up. Looking around at her quarters, her mind drifted back to a few hours before…to the incident in the Director's office.

Tears began to spill out of her eyes as she remembered the Director's icy gaze and terrible laughter as he pressed his body to hers while raping her on the couch. "Oh come on…it can't be that bad," he cackled. "You can't tell me that you're not enjoying this at least a little. After all, who gets to make love to the most powerful man in Kamakura?" He suddenly kissed her and she bit him on the lip, drawing an amused look from him. "Come now, is that any way to treat your lover?"

"You're no lover of mine! Let me go!" she shrieked, pushing against him. "Let me go, damn it!"

"Ah, such fire…you truly are worthy of salvation," Kakuzawa crowed as he abruptly got off her. "You've the will to survive the annihilation. Now I'll have to find out whether you have the strength to do so. Go…return to your duties. I'll call when I require your services again."

Suko stared as he walked back to the desk. "You'll pay for this!" she shouted, shaking with fear and fury.

"I think not, my dear," he countered with his back to her. "You haven't a clue as to what I have in store for you. Now go before I change my mind and want another round with you." The door locks clicked and Suko bolted for the doors.

She crashed through them, nearly knocking down a passerby. _I'm going to get him if it's the last thing I do!_ she screamed in her mind.

Suko drifted back to the present, rubbing her face with her hands as a groan escaped her lips. The hate she felt for him burned deep, making her nauseous. Rising from her chair, she muttered, "There's got to be something here I can bring him down with. There has to be. I know it's here. I just have to find it." A few moments later, she returned to her chair with a cup of coffee from the coffee maker in her tiny kitchen. A chill ran down her frame and she clenched her pajama top with her arms, careful not to spill the hot coffee. She sipped the coffee and felt her core warm slightly as it ran down her throat. Turning back to the computer screen, she began tapping at the keys again, resuming her search. File after file flashed across the screen…many having to do with the diclonius test subjects they experimented on. What she saw revolted her, making her nausea even worse.

At three in the morning, fatigue weighed heavily on her…her eyelids fluttering as sleep refused to be denied any longer. Dark circles under her eyes demonstrated her exhaustion. She stared at the file on number Sixty-six, reading it intently. However, drowsiness kept interfering with her read. The screen kept blurring. "Got to keep trying…got to keep searching," she mumbled as she snapped awake for a moment, and then started the slide back into slumber.

After four times of snapping awake while reading the file, she could no longer fight it. A mysterious voice echoed softly in her ears, "Sleep, Suko Arakawa…sleep." The velvety smooth voice penetrating deep into her mind, soothing it. She couldn't resist the lullaby the voice created. Her heavy eyes drooped and closed as she slumped on the desk, head lying on the papers scattered there. Instantly, Suko found herself dreaming.

She stood in the lab where they experimented on their diclonius subjects. The lights were off, with the only light coming from the control room high above the floor. The light was shining down on her and the wall where the subjects were chained while the cannon shot at them. All was in a tomblike silence. She looked at the bloodstained wall, floor, and chains and saw ghostly forms flitting around. Fear turned her blood to ice as she began backing toward the control room. "What am I doing here?" she asked with a gasp, trembling in fear. A ghostly diclonius girl appeared chained to the wall with a pleading look on her face. She opened her mouth and no sound came out. Suko froze as she heard the cannon move, and then fire repeatedly. She dropped to her knees, holding her ears as time slowed to a crawl, allowing her to see ghostly bullets flying through the air toward the chained girl.

Suko's mouth fell open when she saw the girl's vectors emerge and begin blocking the bullets. The cannon continued to fire with increasing power and rapidity until it sounded like a machine gun. The girl looked at Suko as she blocked the bullets, mouthing the words, "Avenge us." Moments later, a bullet breeched her vectors and her head exploded, splattering on the wall behind her leaving nothing but her lower jaw. The other bullets blew her limbs off and ripped her torso to pieces. Tears gushed from Suko's eyes as she witnessed the carnage. Seconds later, she puked. When the wave of vomiting subsided, she wiped her mouth and cried bitterly.

"Suko Arakawa," a voice called from the darkness as she watched the ghostly girl vanish. Suko looked around wildly to find the source of the voice.

"Suko Arakawa," the voice called again. This time, she identified the voice's source. A nude man with a bandaged head covering all his facial features except his eyes slowly walked toward her from the shadows.

Suko's blood froze solid, paralyzing her. The man walked forward and squatted in front of her in a non-threatening manner. "Wh…wh…" she stammered, unable to finish the question or even move.

A sinister chuckle rose from the man as he looked deep into her eyes. "What am I?" he asked, finishing her question. "I'm the King of all Diclonius, Suko Arakawa. I'm glad I'm able to finally meet you and show you what we've suffered at the hands of your kind." Suko heard the hate in his voice and her fear quadrupled.

"Wh…what do want with me?" she stammered. "Aren't you going to kill me?"

Again, the King chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not going to kill you…not as long as you can be of use to me."

Suko's anger suddenly flared over her fear and she snapped, "Oh great…someone else who wants to use me against my will. What're you going to do…rape me as well? If that's what you have in mind, then just go on and kill me now!"

An uncomfortable silence followed her comment as the King stared at her. "Well…?" she asked.

"I'd never stoop to that level, Miss Arakawa," he growled. "I do not mate outside of my species, unlike the Director. I have something much better in mind that I know you'll like if you'll hear me out."

"Seems I don't have much choice, do I?" she retorted.

"No…you don't," the King answered coldly. "Now listen very carefully to what I say. I'm imprisoned in this very facility. I've seen and felt what the Director and your kind have done to us. I saw him rape you this morning. What a revolting display! He's not worthy of being called a diclonius. I also know you want revenge against him for what he's done to you and justice for the wrongs he's inflicted on us." Suko's face fell and fear began rising again. He moved in nose to nose with her and stated, "As a human, you're nothing but a pest to be exterminated with the rest of your kind. However, you've shown something I have not seen before in other humans…mercy toward our kind and a willingness to avenge yourself and us. This makes you useful to me and not subject to immediate extermination. I know you're looking for something to take down the Director with for what he's done. I know where you may find that information. I just need you to do something for me in exchange for the information."

Suko hesitated, feeling that she was dealing with the devil himself. However, her desire for revenge pushed her to ask, "What do you want me to do?"

"I've something special planned for the Director," the King stated menacingly. "I mean to avenge myself and all diclonius on him and everyone here for what they've done to us. What I need you to do is to get me released me from my restraints. If you can get me released, I will let you watch as I punish the Director for what he did to you and us."

"I like the way you think," Suko answered softly. "I've never approved of how they've dealt with your kind since I came here. It's inhuman. There's just one problem. I may not be able to get him to let you go. I'm just not that clever. But I'll try."

"I know you're not very clever," he said. "That's why I have a plan and if you're willing to help me with it, we both can get satisfaction. But it'll require a sacrifice on your part."

"What kind of sacrifice?" she asked pointedly.

"I've seen his lust for you," the King replied. "He sees you as a surrogate for his lineage. He'll undoubtedly want to rape you again. You must gain his trust so when he wants you again, don't resist him." Suko cringed at the thought of Kakuzawa violating her again. "I know it's a bitter pill," the King stated. "However, just think of where it will place you in your revenge. When he's satisfied with your loyalty, especially after you don't resist his sexual advances, you'll have access to his darkest, most secure files. It's there where you'll find the information you need to destroy him and the Institute. All you have to do is submit to him for a little while longer to gather your intelligence and get me released. I have urgent business that I need to attend to besides destroying the Institute and I can't do it while I'm still imprisoned. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"Yes," Suko stated glumly. "I've become a pawn here but, I'll do it…anything to make him pay for what he did to us. One question…who was the girl I saw killed before you showed up?"

"My sister," the King stated in an icy tone. "That bastard made me watch while they killed her. I made a vow to take everything he had and then to kill him because of that. I saw how you reacted to the execution. This is why I haven't killed you and if you're able to keep up your end of the bargain, it may just save your life. Now, do we have a pact?"

The King offered his hand to Suko, who grasped it firmly, saying, "We do. Now where do I start?"

A sinister gleam sparkled in the King's eye as he stated, "You're already where you need to be. Study number Sixty-six's file closely for he's the one I need to do this. Then find the Lazarus file. Lazarus is the top-secret project the Director has been doing personally and only he has the key code and password for. When you find it, enter the key code 6966 and the password 'Domamu rex'. That'll get you into the file and from there, I'm sure you can decide what to do. Now don't disappoint me, Suko Arakawa. I'm counting on you."

"How do you know the password and code key?" Suko asked suspiciously.

"I plucked it from his mind," the King replied smoothly. "Like I said, I see everything that happens here…even the things that aren't supposed to be seen. I've given you what you need for now. I trust you'll keep up your end of the bargain. Don't disappoint me." With that, he disappeared and Suko awoke with a start, remembering the dream in vivid detail.

"Ugh…what a terrible nightmare," she moaned, looking at the clock on her computer desk. It stated '4:30 AM.' Virtual fish swam around the bubbling aquarium screensaver on her computer. She touched the mouse and the file of Sixty-six came up. "I'm going to get you now, you shit," she cursed, reading the file closely. "You're going to pay for what you did to me and those kids."

* * *

At 7:00 AM, a knock came to the Director Kakuzawa's door. He sat in his chair brooding while examining the reports on the fire at Kaeda House on his computer. "Enter," he called out venomously, not looking up.

The door opened and three soldiers entered with a body bag laying on a gurney. They pushed the gurney to the front of Kakuzawa's desk. "Sir," the captain reported. "We found Bandoh…or rather what's left of him."

Kakuzawa looked up, hissing, "Did you bring his head?"

"Yes sir…along with what's left of him," the captain stated. "Looks like someone got the best of him."

Kakuzawa stood and walked around the desk to the gurney. "Open it," he demanded. The captain motioned to his men and one of them unzipped the body bag, revealing Bandoh's remains. The left side of his head and face was crushed with his cybernetic eyes hanging out of his eye sockets; his neck was snapped with a compound fracture, exposing the spine; the left arm was missing along with a large portion of his midsection. His right hand was demolished with a huge hole in it and the right arm was almost twisted off at the elbow. Both his legs had multiple compound fractures and his lower spine lay exposed in the gaping hole in his abdomen. A sadistic grin crossed Kakuzawa's face. "This wasn't done by a diclonius," he stated. "Looks like someone shot him with that hand cannon he was carrying. Where did you find him?"

"On the road directly below the Kaeda House," the captain stated as Kakuzawa plucked one of the eyes out and crushed it in his fist. "From what it looks like, he mined the house before entering it so he could burn the place after the attack. However, it looks like someone got him before he could finish the job."

"Did you find any bodies?" the Director asked coldly, tossing the crushed eye back onto Bandoh's demolished chest.

"No sir," the captain answered carefully. "We didn't. However, we did find a large hole in the basement's south wall. It looks like someone smashed it in with a wrecking ball from the outside. However, we found no bodies. The only thing we found was the charred remains of a puppy in the courtyard."

"Hmmm…is the damage to that wall consistent with what a diclonius could do?" Kakuzawa asked pointedly.

"I would say it's a high probability," the captain stated.

"Something's happening here. Lucy is still alive somewhere," Kakuzawa stated. "…and someone may be assisting her. That's all for now, captain. Take this piece of shit to the lab and put it in the freezer. I've plans for this carcass."

"Yes sir," the captain answered, motioning for the body bag to be zipped back up. "What do you want us to do next?"

"Continue your search, captain. Lucy's obviously being helped," Kakuzawa growled. "Find them, exterminate them, and bring Lucy back."

"Yes sir," the captain barked with a salute. He and his men then wheeled Bandoh's remains to the lab.

Kakuzawa looked at the blood on his hand and grinned, saying, "You'll make a fine experiment for Lazarus, you bastard. Death won't hold you if I have anything to say about it. I'll finally have a soldier who will obey orders and can bring Lucy in."

* * *

The darkness surrounding Lucy began to lighten as she felt a hand on her forehead. A soft moan escaped her lips. Slowly, her eyes opened, seeing a blurry figure sponging her forehead with a damp washcloth. "Wh…what happened?" she moaned. "Where am I?"

"You're in a secure location," the figure said calmly. "You're safe, as are your friends, milady."

Lucy's eyes grew wide and she abruptly sat up, crying, "Kohta…where's Kohta?"

Her chest flamed in pain and she collapsed with a cry.

The figure gently laid her down, saying, "Relax, milady. He's right here with you in this very room."

Lucy's eyesight cleared as the pain subsided. She found herself in a non-descript room, laying on a simple bed with a middle-aged diclonius male hovering over her. He had a relieved look on his face. His maroon eyes stared into hers as he gestured to her right, saying, "Your friend is right there, resting comfortably. It's a good thing I showed up when I did or all of you would have burned to death."

Lucy followed the man's arm and saw Kohta laying on another bed sitting next to hers. She saw his chest moving with each breath and relief flooded her face. Looking back to the man, she said, "Thank you, whoever you are. Did you pull the others out?"

He nodded, saying, "I sure did. I couldn't very well let them burn to death…even though they are humans. They're here being tended to by some very skilled people."

"Who are you?" Lucy asked. "I can see you're like me, but I can't sense you at all."

The man chuckled softly, saying, "That's because I hid myself. It's something all of us can do. Here…let me show you who I am."

Lucy gasped as the diclonius revealed his essence to her telepathically. "You…you're the one who saved Kohta and I in the dream from the King," she whispered.

The man smiled, saying, "I am Jin Ryu, my Queen. You may call me Jin. I'm here to serve you as your guard."

"You're what?" Lucy asked, flabbergasted.

"Lucy…" Jin said softly. "I know who you are. I'm here to help you understand what's happening and to protect you from the King. There's much I need to explain to you but you're still not strong enough to take it. Until that time, I'll be here as your bodyguard to protect you and those you have feelings for. This human whom you love is the key to your salvation. I will protect him as I do you."

"His name is Kohta," Lucy answered sharply.

"Of course, milady," Jin stated. "I meant no offense. I find it refreshing when I see the kind of love he has for you. It demonstrates there's still hope for humanity."

"That's what Kaeda says," Lucy murmured, looking at Kohta. "But is it really true? Can we truly live together without killing each other?"

Jin sat on the floor next to her bed, saying, "That's the question you must answer for yourself. There are many of us, including the King, who believe humanity is past redemption and should be purged from this planet. However, some of us don't believe that. But for now, don't worry about it. It's time for you to heal." He paused a moment, and then said, "You should know that while you were unconscious, we gave you a transfusion. Myra insisted on it."

A worried look came across Lucy's face. "Whose blood did I get?" she asked.

"Your blood is very rare," he answered. "There were only two people at this facility who matched your type." Jin pointed to Kohta, saying, "Your friend has it. Unfortunately, because of the blood loss from his wounds, we weren't able to use his."

"Whose blood is it?" Lucy insisted.

"You were given my blood," Jin stated. "I am a pure-blood diclonius as are you. Our blood types matched so I freely gave. I'm just a little weak from it, but that'll pass shortly."

Lucy felt violated when she heard that and she hissed, "Who decided to give me your blood?"

"I did," Kohta called out weakly, looking over at Lucy. "I couldn't let you die when we had a willing donor. I'd have given you mine except Myra said I'd already lost too much blood to be a donor."

Kohta's voice quelled her rising anger. However, she did turn a sour look to him and said, "Next time, ask me before doing something like that, Kohta."

"I'm sorry," he replied, rolling on his side with a groan. "It won't happen again. Besides, we couldn't ask you because you were unconscious. Anyway, I'm still fuzzy on how I got here and where here is. The last thing I remember is the basement wall exploding."

"Yea…that's a good point," Lucy agreed. "How did we get out of there? I don't remember anything after passing out either. Would you care to explain this, Jin?"

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Everyone looked, seeing Myra, Mayu, Nana, and a man dressed as a monk standing there. "They insisted on coming to see Miss Lucy and the young man," the monk called out.

Jin waved them in, saying, "It's okay. You can come in now. They're awake. Thank you, Shen." The monk nodded and walked away as Myra, Mayu, and Nana walked in.

"Oh thank heavens you're all right!" Mayu cried, seeing Lucy and Kohta awake. Mayu rushed to Kohta and hugged him.

"Are you all right, Lucy?" Nana asked softly, kneeling down next to Lucy's bed. "I'm glad you're all right."

Lucy saw Nana's trembling lips and nodded, saying, "I think so, Nana. We were just asking this guy how we escaped that fire."

"Yea…how did we?" Nana chimed.

"How's Yuka?" Kohta interrupted.

"Yuka's condition is stable now. However, she's in a deep coma," Myra stated. "I don't know when or if she'll come out of it. But we'll do everything we can to help her."

Kohta felt a knife of grief turn in his heart. "Why does everyone I care about end up hurt or dead?" he moaned. "It's just not fair."

"Life is seldom fair to anyone," Jin stated. "But never fear…your cousin won't die in a coma."

Myra sat next to Mayu and Kohta, touching Kohta on the shoulder, saying, "I think he's right. Yuka's brain is still functioning. As long as she has brain activity, she will live. We just need to give it time."

"Okay," Kohta answered solemnly. "Where is she?"

"She's in the infirmary being cared for. It's just down the hall from here," Jin stated.

"Yuka's going to be all right, Kohta. You'll see," Mayu cooed, touching him on the hand.

"Can someone tell me how we got out of that fire and where the hell we are now?" Lucy insisted.

"Absolutely," Jin replied. He looked at Lucy, saying, "You're in an abandoned monastery near the shrine of Mitsumine. My friends and I have used this monastery as a safe haven because it's off the beaten path. I'll tell you the story of how I found this place another time. Just understand that it's the only place we could find that kept us off the Institute's radar. I've sensed you since your escape from the Institute, Lucy…you too, Nana. I watched from a distance at what's happened to all of you. However, with the ambush on the 787 and subsequent distress signal from you, Lucy, I moved into action and have been tracking you ever since. I would've been here sooner except I was delayed at the bridge by some idiot soldiers who didn't know who they were messing with."

"You killed them?" Lucy asked.

"Of course," Jin answered coldly. "They left me with no choice. Finding you before the King did was my top priority. After I eluded capture at the bridge, I followed your telepathic signature to your house." He remembered what he saw vividly, expounding the scene exactly as he experienced it.

Jin flitted through the shadows on the hill above the Kaeda House. Gunfire came from the direction of the house and he hurried through the trees, stumbling upon the bodies of the two soldiers Bandoh had dispatched. A growl escaped his lips as he looked at the soldiers, and then down on the house. More gunfire echoed from the house, followed by a crash, spurring Jin down the hill to the road. As he jumped out on the road, a fireball rose from the parking lot next to the house, engulfing the courtyard and the side of the house closest to the fire. "Oh no," he moaned, breaking into a run. Moments later, another explosion rocked the opposite end of the house. The fireball rose high into the night sky. The fire from the two blasts engulfed the entire front section of the house and upper floors by time he reached the parking lot. As he turned the corner, the far end of the house where the kitchen was exploded, shattering and collapsing the upper floors in that area. The concussion from the blast threw Jin across the road. He crashed against the wall with a cry. For a few moments, he lay motionless, and then a groan rose from him as he rolled on his knees. "Lucy..." he moaned as he sensed her in the basement. "Hold on, milady. I'm coming."

Staggering to his feet, he looked at the fire while it roared in the ground floor of the Kaeda house. The roof began sagging as he rushed forward, heading toward the lower parking lot, staying to the far side of the lot. When the basement door came into view, he saw an explosives charge set there. "Oh shit!" he cursed as it went off. Jin dropped to the ground, dodging the concussion and debris from the detonation. "Lucy!" he shouted, seeing a wall of fire where the basement wall and door had once stood.

Scrambling to his feet, he dashed toward the fire, sensing Lucy slipping away. Running around the lower side of the house, Jin found a portion of the cinderblock basement wall away from the corner not engulfed in fire. His vectors sprang from his back, knocking a huge hole in the wall. Fire spewed out of the hole for a moment, and then subsided enough for him to see bodies lying motionless on the floor. His face fell with great concern and he sent twelve of his vectors flooding through the hole, clearing a path to Lucy. The vectors wrapped around each of the unconscious forms in the inferno and pulled them to safety as the ceiling collapsed in the basement. He carried them to the far side of the lower parking lot. After laying them down, he noticed Lucy stirring and knelt over, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Lucy…Lucy. Wake up, Lucy, wake up. Come on, wake up, Lucy. We can't stay here for long. It's not safe," Jin pleaded.

Lucy stirred and suddenly broke into a fit of coughing as her eyes opened. A burning house greeted her eyes, with her seeing it from outside. "Kohta…Kohta," she moaned as Jin knelt, touching her on the shoulder.

"It's all right," he cooed. "He's safe as are the rest of your friends. They're right here. Just relax, Lucy. I'm going to take care of you and your friends." He leaned down, looking her in the eye as she again slipped into unconsciousness. He felt her pulse, finding it weak, but steady. A relieved smile crossed his lips as he laid his hand gently on her head. "Never fear, milady…you're safe with me." With that, he checked the others, starting with Kohta, finding them alive. Upon examining Yuka, his face fell with concern and four vectors sprouted from his back, penetrating into her chest. "Don't die, little lady," he whispered as he examined her with his vectors. "Hmmm…it looks like someone has already done some repairs on you, little lady. However, it was a bit of a rough job though. Let me see if I can do a little better." A few moments later, his vectors retracted and a sigh rose from Yuka. A smile rose on his face as he patted her on the head, saying, "That should do until I can get you away from this place, little lady." He stood up and looked over the five unconscious forms lying around him. The house groaned and the roof caved in with a roar. Sweat beaded on Jin's face because of the intense heat. The wail of sirens approaching caused his face to fall. Then the drone of helicopter blades added to the cacophony of noise surrounding him.

Reaching into his pocket, Jin pulled out a small device and placed it in his ear. "Zephyrus, this is the Golden Dragon. We need immediate extraction for five casualties at the cemetery on the hill above the target."

"Roger, Golden Dragon," the voice echoed in his ear from the device. "We'll be there in three minutes."

"Golden Dragon out," Jin stated as the sirens and helicopters grew louder. "Okay…time to get out of here, my friends." With that, he carefully lifted Lucy, Kohta, Myra, Nana, and Mayu with his vectors, and then spun ten more vectors that cocooned around all of them. They vanished from sight as the first of the fire trucks arrived. Two-and-a-half minutes later at the cemetery, a blue van drove up and a man with red hair and maroon eyes stepped out of the van. "Hello…Jin, where are you?" he called out as he walked into the cemetery.

"Right behind you, Doug," Jin whispered, appearing out of thin air with five unconscious forms floating around him.

"Geeze…don't do that, Jin!" Doug snapped with fright, wheeling around.

"Sorry…I couldn't help myself, Doug," Jin cackled. "We need to get them away from here right now."

Doug nodded and opened the sliding door on the van, saying, "Then let's go. I don't relish being caught here by the Institute."

Jin carefully laid them down on the carpeted floor of the van, and then closed the door. He jumped in the passenger seat as Doug got behind the wheel. "Let's go," Jin ordered. With that, they drove away with their precious cargo.

"And that's how you escaped that inferno," Jin declared upon finishing the account. "Had I not arrived when I did, all of you would have burned to death. I thank the gods I arrived when I did."

Lucy pushed herself into a sitting position with a groan. She looked around and sighed. "So…how long have I been here?" she asked bluntly.

"Two days," Jin replied. "Most of your friends woke yesterday. Only the young lady they call Yuka is still unconscious. But she will live. Did you help her, Lucy?"

"Yes," Lucy replied. "I don't know why, but I did. I suppose I didn't want Kohta to see her die. He's a special attachment to her that I don't entirely understand."

"Yuka and I are cousins," Kohta stated as he sat up. "We're family…something I truly didn't grasp until you left me on the stone stairs. When that happened, I realized how important family is and I swore from that moment forward that I'd do everything in my power to keep my family safe. I killed to keep them and you safe. I still don't know how you cope with killing people."

"You must let it go," Jin stated. "From what Myra, Mayu, and Nana told me about the incident, you're a hero. You were right to kill that maniac. You should feel no remorse over ridding the world of him. No one's going to mourn his passing."

"But I took a life," Kohta insisted while holding the cast on his broken right arm. "I wasn't brought up like that. Killing is never an option."

"Sometimes it's the only option, Kohta," Myra stated, again putting a caring hand on his shoulder. "You acted in the only sane manner in that insane situation. You confronted the bastard and protected us with lethal force. Had you not, all of us would've been killed. That asshole was on a search and destroy mission with the objective being the extermination of everyone in the house at his hand. As far as I'm concerned, what you did was a perfect example of killing being the only option."

"She's right, Kohta," Lucy said. "He was after me and you knew it. You did something there I've never seen anyone do…you killed to protect those you loved. That's something that baffles me still. Why would you do that?"

"Because he loves you, Lucy," Jin said plainly. "He loves you and all your friends. Love is a very powerful emotion that can cause people to do the craziest of things. Don't try to understand why. You'll just drive yourself nuts trying to figure out why. There's no why. There's just his love for you. I can sense it, even though he's not one of us."

Lucy stared at Jin, her mouth hanging open. "He's right, Lucy," Kohta stated, tears slowly dripping down his cheeks. "I don't know why I did it. I just did. I was in a position to finally make a difference and protect those I loved, instead of watching them die in front of me like before."

"What are you talking about?" Mayu asked.

"When I was ten, I saw Kanae and my dad ripped apart in front of me by someone in this very room," he stated grimly.

Mayu's eyes grew wide as she stared at Lucy. "You don't mean?" she whispered.

"Yes, I killed them," Lucy admitted, her head sagging with a frown and trembling lips as a knife of grief turned in her heart. "I was young and stupid then. I found Kohta with Yuka at the festival earlier that evening and snapped. I believed everything he told me was a lie and I killed his family in front of him in retribution. I've been haunted by what I did ever since. I loved him. Yet, I killed his family in front of him. All I've ever endured was torment and pain at the hands of others because of what I am. He treated me like a normal girl and I repaid his kindness with murder. There was no excuse for it. I still don't know why he forgave me, but he did."

"You forgave her?" Mayu and Myra asked in unison, both of them astonished.

"I did," Kohta said softly. "Don't ask me why, but I did. I love her and always have. She needs me. I promised I'd never betray her again."

"But she killed your sister and dad, Kohta," Mayu insisted. "How can you forgive that?"

"I had to," Kohta replied. "Lucy's not an evil person at heart. I believe that with every ounce of my being. I remember one time after we first met where she asked me to kill her if she ever got where she couldn't stop killing. I didn't understand why she would say such a thing. But now I do. Does that sound like something a raving homicidal maniac would say? I know she gets no pleasure in killing. All she's ever wanted was to be accepted and loved. She came to me, begging for forgiveness. I forgave her and decided to do everything I could to help her. She's not the same person now that she was eight years ago. I mean, look how she helped Yuka. Would someone who was a cold-blooded killer save her rival? No…I think not and I truly believe she wants to leave her past behind and start over. Do you really think Lucy will kill any of us at this point?"

Tears dripped off Lucy's chin as she began to grasp Kohta's reasoning. Mayu looked down and sighed, shaking her head. "No Kohta…I don't. I know better than most what a rotten past can do to you. I'm sorry I doubted you, Lucy, and I still love you."

"Do you?" Lucy asked coolly. "Aren't you afraid I'll do something to you?"

"No," Mayu replied confidently. "You won't do anything because I'm your friend. You won't hurt me on purpose. I just know it. Nyu's not going to allow it." Lucy's eyes grew wide as Mayu walked over to Lucy and hugged her gently, adding, "I know Nyu's a part of you and she loves all of us. I suspect you do too. It's okay to be kind and have fun like Nyu. If you don't have some fun once in a while, what's the point in living?"

"That a profound statement, little lady," Jin stated. "You're absolutely right. You should listen to her, Lucy."

Lucy gasped and suddenly grabbed her head, crying out. Mayu backed away with concern as Lucy's eyes clenched shut. "No…you can't!" Lucy shrieked. "Not now!"

Kohta jumped up and flew to Lucy. He grabbed her, pulling her into a tight embrace, asking, "What's wrong?"

"Another one of her fractured personalities is coming out," Jin stated, sensing the transition.

Before he could say anything more, Lucy calmed down and her eyes opened. Kohta looked into her eyes and smiled. "Nyu?" Nyu chimed, looking into Kohta's eyes. A broad smile crossed her lips and she kissed him on the lips while wrapping her arms around him. "Nyu love Kohta! Nyu love Kohta!" she beamed.

"Nyu…" Kohta breathed softly as he stroked her back. "I love you too, Nyu." Everyone smiled and Mayu knew her declaration was the truth.

"I not let Bad Lucy hurt anyone," Nyu declared, holding Kohta. "Kaeda not let Bad Lucy hurt anyone either." Gasps escaped their lips.

Kohta pushed Nyu back to look her in the eye, asking, "Where's Lucy, Nyu?"

She pouted, saying, "You like Lucy better than Nyu."

"Not at all," Kohta replied. "I love both of you very much. Do you know what happened, Nyu? What happened to Lucy?"

"Nyu not know," Nyu stated. "Nyu talking to Kaeda about Bad Lucy. Now I here. Kohta not mad?"

"Of course not," he answered with a smile.

"Nyu," Jin called out.

Nyu looked at him and said, "Nyu remember you. You save us and Kohta from bad man."

"That I did," Jin said with a smile. "Nyu…can you tell me who are with you?"

"Lucy, Kaeda, and Bad Lucy," Nyu answered. "Bad Lucy is mad at Nyu, Lucy, and Kaeda. She want to kill Kohta. But Nyu not let her…neither do Kaeda or Lucy."

"Who's Kaeda?" Jin asked.

"Kaeda Lucy's momma," Nyu stated. "She know things Nyu don't and helped Nyu and Lucy beat Bad Lucy."

"I see," Jin replied. "Do you know when Lucy's coming back?"

"No," Nyu said.

"Okay, little one," Jin chimed. "Thank you." Nyu smiled broadly and cuddled with Kohta. He looked at Kohta, saying, "I think I understand what just happened. Lucy must be the dominant personality. Nyu is one she created when she escaped from the Institute. This Bad Lucy Nyu's talking about I'm sure is the diclonius part of her that wishes to destroy all humans. All diclonius have that and unfortunately, most succumb to it. This Kaeda, on the other hand, is something I didn't expect. I can sense she may be the true power behind Lucy. I'm going to have to lure her out so I can speak with her at some point. What I believed just happened is that Lucy is still having trouble accepting love and kindness from other people. When she is confronted with something like that, she involuntarily retreats and Nyu comes out. On the other hand, I suspect that when Nyu is mistreated or sees Kohta in danger, Lucy resumes control in order to protect herself and Kohta…depending on the situation."

Kohta stared at Jin for a moment, astounded with the diagnosis. "That explains a lot," Kohta murmured. "But I still don't know how she came to have four personalities. Another thing I don't understand is how I shared that dream where this King attacked us and you saved our asses. You are that guy, aren't you?"

Jin nodded. "I am. As for the reason you shared that dream with her, I'm not sure. It may have to do with her blossoming power as the Queen. As the Queen, she has the capability to link telepathically to the person she chooses has her King. Apparently, she has chosen you, Kohta, which would explain why the King is so enraged. You must understand something, Kohta. The being who attacked you is a King of the diclonius, but not The King. He's deluded himself into thinking he's the King of all Diclonii worldwide because he has not sensed any others outside of Japan."

"Then what is Lucy?" Mayu asked.

"Lucy is the Queen of all Diclonii," Jin stated. "This I'm certain of. However, she doesn't understand it yet and will not grasp her full potential until she heals her mind. Her fractured personalities must merge to create one coherent being. As long as she remains the way she is, she's in danger from the King."

"So who chooses the King of all Diclonii that you're talking about?" Myra asked.

"Lucy does," Jin answered. "She alone chooses and she will be the one who determines the fate of both our species. This is why I've come…to make sure she has the opportunity to see both sides of the coin and choose our destiny…life or death."

"That's just not fair," Kohta retorted. "Why is Lucy the one who has to make this decision? Hasn't she suffered enough without having the weight of determining whether the entire world should live or die?"

"You don't understand us," Jin answered.

"Then enlighten us," Kohta insisted. "I'm all ears."

"So am I," Myra stated. "I've been watching what the Institute has been doing, trying to find out what is going on. Seems to me you might have some answers I've been looking for."

"Are you sure you want to know?" Jin asked. "For when you cross that threshold, you can never go back. The diclonius species has the capability to raise humanity to hitherto unknown heights or it can be the plague that will eradicate all life from this planet. Do you really want to know? By knowing, you'll become directly involved in what's happening."

"We're already involved," Kohta snapped. "I've had this sense that Lucy has always been the center of this madness. We have to know what's going on in order to survive this insanity."

Jin sighed and said, "Very well. Since Lucy chose you as her king, then I will explain everything. But I warn you, it won't be pleasant."

"And what we've already been through isn't?" Nana chided.

Jin smiled, saying, "Touché, Nana. You got me there. First, let me bring in a couple of my friends. They have pieces of this puzzle I do not. I'll just be a moment." Kohta nodded and Jin rose, leaving the room.

"What do you think, Myra?" Kohta asked.

"I think we've landed in the middle of some really deep shit that isn't going to get better any time soon," Myra stated bluntly. "Something major is happening here and I believe your thoughts that Lucy's the center of this may be right. However, in order for us to make an accurate determination as to what to do, we need information. I say let's pick this guy's brain for everything he'll give. Then we can decide what to do next."

"You're not just a doctor, are you, Myra?" Mayu asked pointedly. "You talk like someone who knows how to fight. I saw you shoot the knife out of Bandoh's hand while it was moving. Not just anyone can shoot like that."

"That's very observant of you, Mayu," Myra stated with a smile. "Before I became a doctor, I was special forces in the American military. They taught me how to kill, just like that maniac who attacked us. However, I didn't have the stomach for what they were doing at the time and they discharged me for refusing to follow orders. The government blacklisted me and I couldn't even get a job so I came to Japan. Here, they accepted me, especially when they learned about my past in special operations. I took what I learned about medicine in the military and went back to school, eventually coming to Kamakura to teach at the University."

"I thought so," Kohta said softly. "When I saw how you took charge during the attack, I knew you had to be ex-military. The only reason I trusted you is because Lucy trusted you."

Just then, Jin returned with a tray filled with glasses of water. Behind him, a man with red hair and maroon eyes entered, carrying a tray of snacks. Then the monk that brought Myra, Mayu, and Nana to the room entered. "I brought some water and snacks for everyone," Jin stated, offering the glasses of water to those present. As he passed around the glasses of water, he said, "The red-head is Doug. He's one of us."

Doug sat his tray down in the midst of them, saying, "Hi ya. Welcome to the Sanctuary. Please, help yourselves to the snacks." He plopped down on the floor next to Kohta's bed with a smile. Nana cast a suspicious eye at him.

"And the monk is called Shen," Jin declared. "He's a gifted doctor and friend. He and his colleagues keep this place hidden from the Institute. Now that the introductions are done, let's get down to business. But first, before I can begin, we need Lucy to come back." He looked deep into Nyu's face, saying, "Nyu…can you get Lucy for us, please? We need to talk to her."

"Nyu don't know how," she replied.

"I think I know how, that is if Kohta will permit it." Jin stated.

"What're you going to do?" Kohta asked suspiciously. "It won't hurt her, will it?"

"No Kohta," Jin answered. "It's going to require that I attack you. But I promise I'll not damage you."

"You're nuts!" Mayu cried. "You can't hurt him, not after saving him!"

"I'm not going let you!" Nana shouted.

"I don't have time to argue," Jin hissed, releasing a single vector that plunged into Kohta's chest without warning. "Don't move Kohta, or something bad may happen." A gasp escaped Kohta's lips as his eyes grew wide. A shriek of pain followed as Jin's vector gently pushed on the nerves around his heart. "Lucy…come out and save him or I'll rip him apart," Jin said coldly. Myra's face twisted with anger while Mayu and Nana stared in shock at the brazen aggression toward Kohta.

"You bastard!" Myra shouted, jumping toward Jin. She suddenly found herself immobilized by an invisible force.

"Don't interfere," Doug warned. "Jin isn't going to kill or injure the boy. Trust him."

"What the hell is this?" Myra roared as Mayu moved against Jin.

Mayu stopped short of him, floating in the air with eyes wide. "What's happening?" she cried.

"Don't struggle, Mayu," Jin warned. "I'm not going to hurt you or Kohta."

"But you are!" Mayu retorted. Jin ignored her as she pleaded, "Leave Kohta alone…please!"

Nana stood frozen in place…her vectors unable to emerge. "I can't use my hands," she moaned. "What've you done to me?"

Shen looked at Nana, stating, "Nothing…Doug has restrained you with his vectors, same as he has for Myra. You mustn't interfere. Jin knows what he's doing and will not injure Kohta."

"God damned you!" Myra cursed. "Let him alone!"

"Kohta!" Nyu cried as Kohta moaned, glaring at Jin. Nyu's face suddenly went blank and Lucy reappeared. Six vectors sprang from her back, striking at Jin. He immediately subdued her vectors and ceased his attack on Kohta.

"Bastard! I'll kill you for attacking Kohta like that!" Lucy snarled as Kohta groaned in relief, grasping his chest.

"Just as I thought…my attack on Kohta brought your dominant personality back out," Jin stated, gently letting Mayu down, who rushed to Kohta.

"Are you all right?" Mayu asked as Kohta wheezed.

Lucy glared at Jin as he pushed her vectors back. "Just relax Lucy…he's not hurt. I just tweaked a few nerves around his heart to cause him some phantom pain in order to draw you out. I'm going to let go of your vectors now." The moment he did, Lucy attacked with all her vectors. Again, Jin restrained her, saying, "Please, milady, don't do that. I'm not going to allow you to harm me. I'm much more powerful than you are and you know it. I don't want to hurt you. Now let's try this again." He released one of her vectors and she slapped him brutally with it, drawing blood from the corner of Jin's mouth. He smiled and wiped the blood from his mouth saying, "I suppose I deserved that, milady."

"You're damned right you did. Attack Kohta again and I'll rip you apart," she hissed.

Jin sighed, saying, "I've no intention of ever attacking him again, or you for that matter. Please…just calm down. Kohta's all right."

"Says you," Lucy growled viciously. Turning to Kohta, she asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yea…I think so," Kohta panted, sweat beading on his forehead. "I felt like someone was squeezing my heart. But now I think I'm okay now. Just give me a few minutes."

Lucy cast her burning glare at Jin, hissing, "If something happens to Kohta, I'm going to personally rip your head off."

"Nothing is going to happen to him. You have my word," Jin swore. "Can I let go of your vectors now so we can talk like civilized people?"

Lucy glanced at Kohta, who nodded yes. "All right," she answered coldly, retracting her vectors as Jin released them. "But no tricks."

"No tricks, milady," he agreed, raising his left hand while placing his right hand over his heart.

"Hey…what about us?" Myra shouted, face red with anger.

"Let them go, Doug," Jin ordered. He nodded and released Myra, and then Nana.

Myra turned to Doug and lashed out, only to find her fist stop just an inch from his nose. "Please don't do that again, miss. Your friend isn't injured, just like I promised," he warned softly as Myra's eyes grew wide. Nana turned to him and launched one of her vectors. Doug blocked it effortlessly, saying over his shoulder, "That goes for you too, little lady. Don't make me hurt you because I really don't want to. I kind of like you."

"But he hurt Kohta!" Nana retorted. "And you kept us from helping him!"

"It was for your own good that I subdued you," Doug returned.

"How do you think that?" Myra rebutted.

"Because what I did was an experiment," Jin stated. "I took a chance on my hypothesis about Kohta being the trigger for bringing Lucy out."

"An experiment…what if I hadn't come out, you shit?" Lucy snarled, anger rising again. "Would you have killed Kohta?"

"Absolutely not," Jin stated. "I was five seconds away from ceasing the experiment when you came out, Lucy. I didn't injure him in any way. You can look for yourself the same way you helped Yuka if you don't believe me. Please don't be angry with me, milady."

Kohta glared at Jin, hissing, "Don't you ever do that again. I don't like being a guinea pig, period!"

"I wouldn't dream of it," Jin stated. "Please forgive me for causing you such pain. You're milady's choice and I live to serve you as I do her."

"So you say," Lucy growled. "At this point, I'm not sure if we can trust you or not."

"That's understandable," Jin stated with a long face. "Please allow me to make it up to you. Your friends have insisted on me telling them what happening. What I have to say directly affects you, milady. That's why I took such a risk to get you to reveal yourself again. I know you're having trouble accepting love and kindness from others. What I have to tell you may help you in that area plus it will also help you get ready to deal with the King. He's not going to stop until he has you and merges with you. If he succeeds, the whole world will be doomed to extinction…not just humanity, but our kind as well."

Lucy continued to glare at Jin, saying, "Okay…I'm all ears and this better be good."

"Oh, it will be," Jin stated. "I promise."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: The mystery man is finally revealed! I hope his perspective on the fire at Kaeda House cleared up any questions about it for everyone. You know, bombs do have a tendency to spread fire pretty quick. But who is this Jin Ryu anyway? Will what he has to say to Lucy and Kohta really answer their questions as to what's happening or will it further drag them into the quagmire of the situation they find themselves in? We shall see. Also, the King is on the move, seducing Suko with promises of revenge on Kakuzawa. Will she see his true motivations before it's too late? Only time will tell. Finally, interesting twist with Bandoh, don't you think? What do you suppose Kakuzawa is going to do with Bandoh's body? Keep reading to find out. I hope everyone liked the latest installment of Requiem and I always welcome reviews. Have a happy New Year! There's much more to come!


	8. Chapter 8 Origins

Chapter 8

Origins

Lucy stared icily at Jin for several moments, waiting for his explanation. "Well?" she growled impatiently.

Jin sipped his glass of water and sighed. Gazing into Lucy's eyes, he opened his mind to her and she gasped. "I'll explain what I just showed you so you and your friends can understand the gravity of the situation," Jin stated. "For the record, my name is Jin Ryu Osabi from Hokkaido. I'm a field operative given the task of locating the Queen of all diclonius."

"You're one of them…the ones who want to kill Lucy!" Kohta accused.

"Not true," Jin retorted.

"Oh yea?" Lucy hissed. "How're you any different from those guys at the Institute?"

"Allow me to fill in that blank," Shen intruded, all eyes turning to him. "Our organization doesn't condone or commit the atrocities Kakuzawa does at the Institute. Try to understand…the Institute was originally one of our operations. Our objectives are simple: to study the diclonius and see if there's any way they can live in peace with normal people."

"You mean your people funded and sanctioned the Institute?" Myra asked in astonishment. "How could you ignore such a rogue?"

"We didn't," Shen replied. "When we learned of Kakuzawa's illegal and unethical activity regarding the diclonius, we pulled the plug. However, he has powerful backers besides us inside Japan who see the diclonius as a plague. Therefore, he's received all the funding and equipment necessary to complete his work from those backers. Much of his funding comes directly from the Yakuza and the intelligence services of both Russia and the United States. They see the diclonius as both a threat and a weapon to be utilized."

"Oh this just gets better and better!" Kohta sneered. "Myra's right about us being in the middle of a huge pile of shit!"

"You don't know the half of it," Jin declared. "The Yakuza and the governments of the world want to use us as assassins. However, they're scared we'll turn on them. Because of our power and unpredictable nature, they fear us with good reason. That's why they've funded Kakuzawa. They want to discover all our strengths and weaknesses so they can control us and, if necessary, destroy us."

"This is going somewhere," Lucy hissed impatiently. "Get to the point. Who're you with?"

"Our organization is called ARGUS," Shen declared.

"The monster in Greek mythology that had a hundred eyes, seeing everything in the world," Myra stated.

"You are well read," Shen replied. "Indeed, our sight and reach is worldwide, yet we do not officially exist."

"You're a black opt, aren't you?" Myra accused.

"Not exactly," Shen stated. "No government or single organization outside ARGUS monitors or controls our activities. We answer to no one. We're a phantom organization that has arisen to deal with the emergence of the diclonius race. Some of the most powerful people in the world who are sympathetic to the diclonius back us and keep us concealed from the public. ARGUS believes humanity and the diclonius can live together in peace. That's why we study the diclonius and even allow them to work with us. Jin is our top diclonius field operative. In fact, our consortium is made up of both humans and diclonius with the same goals."

"And what goals are those?" Lucy growled icily.

"To prove conclusively that the diclonius and humans can truly co-exist," Jin stated.

"Not likely," Lucy retorted. "From my experience, the vast majority of the world hates us and would soon see us dead."

"So true," Doug said. "Part of our goal is to prove them wrong."

"You can't change human nature," Lucy hissed, looking Jin in the eye.

"No, we can't," Jin agreed. "However, we can prove to them that we aren't the monsters they believe we are." Lucy shook her head as he continued, "It's a daunting task to gain the acceptance of humans. You should know, Lucy. You've seen the truth of what I'm saying. You've gain the acceptance and love of these humans with you. If you can do it, the rest of us can too."

"I don't know," Mayu chimed. "We're family because the world threw us away and didn't care anything about us."

"Yet you care about each other," Doug affirmed. "You can't change the world by trying to change it all at once. It's impossible. The only thing we can do is to change one person at a time. You change one person. That person then affects those around him or her…possibly affecting positive change in them. This continues until there's a sort of critical mass where whole nations are affected. It takes time to do that. Fears and hatreds of the masses aren't cured instantaneously. However, when the change does come about in the masses, that change becomes accepted as the norm and everyone prospers."

"Nice speech," Myra commented coldly. "But until that change is accomplished, those who are trying to affect that change are persecuted ruthlessly. Just look at the Middle Ages where the Catholic Church persecuted anyone who thought different than they did."

"It's even worse than that," Kohta growled. "Persecution of people because of their physical differences has occurred since the beginning of time. One group declares another inferior and not even human. Therefore, they exploit and kill them. Genocide is in the blood of all humanity. We naturally fear anything different from ourselves. Lucy and those like her are in danger because they don't look like normal people." Lucy shot a hostile glance at Kohta as he continued, "Also, given the power she and those like her have, people fear her to the point of being irrational. They move out of fear and will destroy the source of that fear at any cost. How many species of animals are extinct because of that kind of fear? I admit...I fear what Lucy can do. However, I don't fear her as a person. She's a good person. However, many don't even see her as a real person. They see her as a mere animal to be dismissed with violence and brutality. I'm sure normal people look upon others like Lucy and Nana with the same disdain and hatred. It isn't right and as long as I breathe, I will treat her as a real person with love and respect."

"You mean that?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Kohta replied without hesitation. "And if the need arises again, I will kill to keep you safe…though I hope I never have to. I'm still having trouble dealing with killing that guy in the house. His face and look haunts me."

"That's the burden of every person who kills another," Jin stated. "It makes no difference whether you're human or diclonius. All of us who kill bear that burden. In time, you'll accept it and it won't be such a grievous burden. First kills are often the worst."

"This is all fine, but we've strayed from the point of this conversation," Shen stated. "I was telling you about ARGUS' goals and how they differ from Kakuzawa's goals."

"Then tell us," Lucy returned coldly.

"We're not arguing with you on the matter of human nature," Shen said. "Everything that was just said is absolutely true. The point of our goals is that we're trying to answer that crucial question. The diclonius is different from other races because of the power they have and the apparent inbred will to use it. Everyone here knows they possess a killer instinct. What we've discovered in our studies is the killer instinct prevalent in all diclonius can be successfully controlled if the subject feels accepted and loved, rather than hated and persecuted. We've done sweeps of hospitals worldwide searching for diclonius babies. When we'd locate one, we'd approach the parents and ask them to participate in our study at our expense. Invariably, when the parents agree to be part of our study with the child, the diclonius child grows and matures normally, only using his or her vectors in a positive manner. They're much like Nana here. We're fascinated how you were able to keep from going insane from your treatment at the Institute and killing people indiscriminately like so many diclonius do."

"My papa…I promised papa I wouldn't hurt anyone with my hands," Nana said softly. "I never wanted to hurt anyone. I just wanted him to be proud of me."

"I see," Jin chimed. "He loved you, didn't he?"

"Yes…he saved me three times," Nana whispered. "I…" Tears rolled down her cheeks as she choked. Mayu put her arm around Nana and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"So what happens when the parents abandon the child?" Myra asked.

"We spirited them away and try to provide a good, stable environment for them to grow in," Shen explained. "We have staff members who act as surrogate parents. Those children have about a 35% rate of succumbing to their murderous instincts whereas those with their biological parents have only a 12% rate of turning. It appears having the biological parents accept the child vastly improves the chances of them not succumbing to their murderous instincts. In our program, we never abused them and always encouraged them, making them feel accepted and even loved. However, for those who did turn violent, we used our technology to restrain them. Unfortunately, Kakuzawa had some of the same technology from when he was part of our operation."

Lucy stared icily at Shen. "I should know…I was imprisoned in that coffin for three years. The only thing that kept me sane was my desire to find Kohta and apologize to him."

"That demonstrates your strength," Jin declared. "However, that's beside the point."

"Excuse me," Nana interrupted. "But what about those diclonius who slipped through your sweeps? Did you hunt them the same way Kakuzawa hunted Lucy?"

"No," Shen stated. "Military assault teams like Kakuzawa uses are not the way we operate. Jin…why don't you explain this point."

All eyes turned to Jin, awaiting his response. He sipped his glass of water and sat it down. "When we discover what we call a rogue…a diclonius who is killing indiscriminately, a team is sent to capture him or her. The team consists of both humans and diclonius. What we do is go out in teams of twenty with three members being diclonius like I am…matured with excellent control of our vectors. The human members of our team are used to corral the rogue in a secluded location while the three diclonius members go in and actually capture him or her. Most of the time, our teams are in plain clothes so no one knows who we are."

"So how do you catch them?" Myra asked.

"Once we locate the rogue," Jin stated, "…our team follows the mark until he or she is in a secluded area. Then we surround the rogue. First, we try to talk them into surrendering. When that doesn't work, we use tranquilizer bullets most of the time to subdue them. When the rogue deflects the ammunition, the explosive heads go off, releasing the gas, rendering the rogue unconscious without hurting him or her."

Kohta and Lucy frowned in unison. "What do you do then?" Kohta demanded.

"The team moves in and the diclonius handlers on the team restrain the rogue," Jin declared. "The first thing we do is punch the pineal gland with our vectors to render the rogue's vectors temporarily useless. Nana knows this technique and she used it on Mariko. It's effective and makes it safe to restrain the rogue and transport him or her to our closest facility where he or she is examined and kept in restrain until we decide how to proceed."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked icily.

"Dealing with a rogue is different from raising a diclonius as an infant," Jin answered. "We have to overcome their aggressive instincts. We start by implanting a chip in them that prevents the use of their vectors." Lucy's frown deepened into a scowl. "This allows us to safely control their vectors without the need of coercion. It makes it safe for everyone. It also keeps us from having to use heavy restraints on them. As we show them that violence against humans isn't always necessary, we give them back limited use of their vectors. When they make positive progress, they're given back more and more of their vector control. However, when they become violent against those around them, we take back control of their vectors. In the extreme case, we've actually had to sedate and physically restrain them. Those cases are very rare. I know of only two whom had to be restrained in such a manner. They were a danger to everyone."

"That's just not right," Nana protested. "You've no right to hunt people like that."

"That's right!" Mayu agreed.

"You're no different from Kakuzawa," Lucy spat in disgust. "Do you have a chip in your head?"

"No," Jin stated. "What you don't realize is that when those diclonius reach the point where they can be trusted, the chip is removed."

"Yea, right!" Kohta sneered. "I'm sure they do. This sounds like mind control to me. You guys could be using those chips to control those diclonius. What's to say that your people won't turn on you and use those chips to make you do things against your will? Do you really think they'd remove something like that from you? It's the perfect way to make sure you're doing what you're supposed to be doing."

Jin's face suddenly faltered at Kohta's question. He looked at Shen and Doug, who had similar looks. Lucy cracked a wry smile, saying, "Looks like you hit a nerve, Kohta. They hadn't thought of that…that the top guys might have had an ulterior motive for doing such a thing."

Jin felt an icy chill race down his spine. He reached back and touched the base of his skull. "You do have a point, Kohta. It's something I never thought of. Damn! I'll bet they didn't remove it at all. What's worse is the damned thing can be tracked too. I'd better look into this. Thank you, Kohta, for arousing my suspicious nature again. I know there's been some bickering amongst the factions at ARGUS since Lucy's escape. We might want to be on our guard."

"I'd say that's a wise thing to do. Did Kakuzawa have that technology too?" Myra asked.

"Not to our knowledge," Shen answered. "If he had, then capturing Lucy wouldn't have been such a pain in the ass for them. They could've just used the chip to track her. The chip we're talking about is something ARGUS developed about the time Kakuzawa went rogue on us. When his activities became suspicious, we refused to let him have any more of our technology."

"So when did Kakuzawa actually break with your organization?" Myra asked.

"Right after Lucy's capture," Shen stated. "When they discovered Lucy was among the first diclonius to appear, Kakuzawa broke contact with us and everyone loyal to us at the Institute disappeared. Headquarters had just pulled the plug because of the atrocities we learned he was committing. It took us several months to find out from where he was receiving his financing. In the meantime, we infiltrated the Institute to find out what happened to our people and to keep an eye on their activities. What we discovered was very disturbing. Apparently, Kakuzawa murdered everyone he deemed a threat and had the bodies incinerated. Their bones are rumored to be held in the lowest, most secure levels of the Institute. We also discovered he had expanded his experimentation on the diclonius subjects into areas forbidden by ARGUS. Furthermore, he was dispatching teams to snatch diclonius children from the hospitals before us, killing most of them. They called it Sudden Infant Death Syndrome if anyone asked. Those who weren't killed were brought to the Institute for experimentation."

Mayu's face paled as her stomach turned. "How did he get away with that?" she asked.

"He bought favor with every official who could affect his project. Those he couldn't bribe ended up with timely accidents," Doug answered. "But that isn't the really bad stuff he's been doing."

"Not by a long shot," Shen agreed as everyone stared in disbelief. "He used his influence with the police and military to get the Special Attack Teams created just for the purpose of hunting diclonii. As of now, Kakuzawa is the most powerful man in Kamakura, if not all of Japan. He has the police, military, and a majority of the city council on his payroll. He even has powerful Parliament members backing him. His underworld connections also guarantee the cooperation of many public officials. However, let me return to what we found him doing.

"From information gathered by our spies within the Institute, we discovered his diclonius testing with the cannons, a program for enhancing diclonius abilities with genetic manipulation, and a serum program for the diclonius virus. At first, we believed the serum program was for developing a vaccine. However, as more intelligence came in, we realized he was developing the virus into a biological weapon." Faces grimaced with disgust and horror at the news. "We too had been researching the diclonius virus, trying to develop a vaccine…not to develop it into a bio-weapon. However, that wasn't the worst thing we found. The last piece of intelligence we received before our spies were discovered was a program called Lazarus. Details are sketchy, but from what we can ascertain, Kakuzawa is using diclonius and human subjects in an experiment to reanimate dead tissue."

"You've got to be kidding!" Myra breathed with horror. "You're saying he's trying to raise the dead using the diclonius?"

"Possibly," Shen stated. "We don't know if he's using alive or dead subjects. I suspect both. It's not just a violation of the laws of man, but of nature as well. He seems to be searching for someway to cheat death."

Kohta's head spun at the news. "God…is he really that evil?"

"Yes," Lucy stated equivocally.

"It's worse than you think," Jin stated. "He's diclonius."

"What?" Lucy and Nana blurted out in unison.

"Yes…he's diclonius," Jin affirmed. "However, he's not like us. He isn't pureblood like you and me, Lucy. He isn't even like Nana. His blood has been watered down over generations of inbreeding with humans. The results are his horns are just nubs and he has no vectors. It's my opinion he's using Lazarus to discover a way revitalize his blood and regain his vectors so he can become the leader of all diclonius. Apparently, he believes he's the only one intelligent enough to rule the diclonius of the world. From what we learned about Lazarus before the transmission was cut, you're an essential part of this program, Lucy. Kakuzawa knows you're the Queen of all diclonius worldwide, as do we. He believes you're the key to his resurrection as a full-blood diclonius. This is why he's been so adamant about your live capture. Of course, this is only speculation on my part given the facts we had at hand."

Lucy stared at Jin with a scowl on her lips. "Is that so? How can you be so sure?"

"Deductive reasoning," Jin replied. "It's the only logical reason for his insistent use of SAT teams. If he merely wanted you exterminated, he'd have sent in a gunship and killed you with a rocket attack."

"He does have a point," Kohta stated.

"So why are you here?" Lucy demanded coldly.

"Our spies informed us of the split between the Director and his son…the man you killed at the University," Jin answered, looking Lucy in the eye. "It revealed a chink in the Director's armor, giving us the opportunity to exploit that weakness. When you escaped because of that schism, it threw Kakuzawa's plans into a tailspin. In the chaos of your escape, our operatives uncovered Lazarus and relayed the intelligence. The moment headquarters learned of your freedom and about Lazarus, they charged me with securing you from Kakuzawa's grasp. However, it took me precious time to get here and locate you."

"So now that you have 'secured' Lucy, what now?" Kohta asked suspiciously.

"For the moment, nothing…Lucy needs time to heal," Jin stated. "My orders are simple: to keep Lucy safe at all costs from attack by any hostile party…especially from Kakuzawa or the King."

"Okay…who's this King?" Myra demanded. "I've heard you mention this guy several times. It's time to come clean."

"Indeed," Jin stated, taking a sip from his glass of water. "One of the things ARGUS has discovered is that the diclonius race is a hive mind. The diclonius are connected to each other by a form of telepathy. It's similar to a beehive or an anthill. However, not all diclonius are born the same. Just as the beehive and anthill have different castes of insects to do different jobs…so do we as diclonius. There's a queen and a king for each colony along with workers, soldiers, and so on. The Queen, however, is the core of the colony. Everyone works to protect the queen and have the inbred instinct to assure her survival and the survival of our race. There are colonies scattered all over the earth…not just here in Japan. They have queens and kings, same as we do here. However, something binds these colonies together. It's the two individuals who represent the Queen and King for the whole planet. Lucy…you're that Queen. You're connected to every diclonius on the planet whether you realize it or not. They heard your call, just as I did, and are coming as we speak. Some may not make it. However, many will."

"They're coming here…why?" Nana asked.

"To answer Lucy's distress call," Jin replied. "Some are coming to give their allegiance to her as the true Queen while others are coming to destroy her. You see…just as there's a split in the human community about diclonius, there's also a split in the diclonius world about humans and our role on this planet. Many of the diclonius worldwide have succumbed to what I call the Fury."

"What's that?" Mayu asked.

"It's the part of every diclonius that wants to kill every human on the planet," Jin explained. "I spoke of it before. Nyu called it Bad Lucy for Lucy. It's that part we at ARGUS have been trying to tame. However, many do not tame it and they become ruthless killers. They snap and believe the only way to survive is to kill every human they encounter. The females of our kind also infect human males with the diclonius virus if they are so inclined in order to perpetuate our race. You, Nana, are a diclonius born of the diclonius virus…what we call a silpelit. It means that you're not full-blooded like Lucy and I. Silpelits are the workers and soldiers in the beehive or anthill. They exist only to service and protect the queen. However, they're still just as susceptible to the Fury as full-blood diclonii are.

"The point I'm trying to make is the diclonius who have succumbed to the Fury haven't realized the extermination of humanity comes with a heavy price…our own annihilation. We're connected…the humans and us whether we like it or not. We're different sides of the same coin. To destroy all humanity means a depletion of the genetic material that will allow the diclonius race to grow and mature. Without the genetic diversity of humanity, our race is doomed to extinction. We are symbiotes…the diclonius and humanity. Where humans are weak, we are strong and vice versa. However, many diclonius don't believe that and have embraced the Fury. What they don't realize is that eventually the Fury will cause us turn on each other and kill until there's no one left. That's what the Fury is…a suicidal blood-thirst that wishes to destroy all intelligent life. Only love and kindness can counter it from what we've seen so far." Jin gazed deep into Lucy's eyes as he spoke. "You've seen what the Fury can do and the price you've paid for it, Lucy. When I declared Kohta was your salvation, I lied not. It was his love and kindness that drew you back from the brink, possibly saving us all. You must not allow the Fury to burn and consume you. Otherwise, all life is doomed."

"Wait a minute," Mayu interjected. "You mean this call you say Lucy sent out touched every diclonius in the world?"

"It did," Jin declared. "This is how we discovered Lucy was truly the Queen of all Diclonius. When our operatives on the opposite side of the world sensed and recorded her distress call on the bridge, we knew she was the one. Only the true Queen could do that."

"Wow!" Mayu gasped, looking at Lucy with a new sense of awe and fear.

"Okay…you've indicated some kind of hierarchy with the diclonius," Myra stated. "Could you explain how it works? I don't know about everyone else, but I'm having a hard time visualizing this."

"Yes…she's right," Lucy admitted. "I too am having trouble seeing how all this fits together."

"That's a tough one," Jin stated, rubbing his chin. "I suspect your fractured psyche is causing this trouble, Lucy." Lucy glared at him and he quickly added, "But it doesn't mean you can't comprehend it. I just need to simplify it a little more. When you merge with your other component personalities, you'll understand what I'm talking about. Now let's see." He drained his glass of water and sat it down. "Okay… let's try this explanation. It's a very simple illustration involving the natural world. Do you know of the water cycle?"

"That's where water evaporates from the oceans and makes rain over land," Mayu chimed.

"Precisely," Jin stated. "The rain falls on land and eventually returns to the ocean through streams and rivers. Let's apply this principle to the diclonius. The ocean, in our case, is our origin. It's the place where the Diclonius Collective resides…our hive mind. However, it's a very dangerous place and only the strongest of us can safely approach it. It's the source of our life, power, knowledge, and our Fury. Within the Collective, there's a unity of opposites. The down side is the Fury. It wishes to destroy all life so the individual pieces that are us can return to it and enhance its power. On the opposite side of the coin, there's the life, power, and knowledge, tempering the Fury. The good side also desires that we return to it. However, the good side wants us only to return after we've grown and matured, bringing with us the knowledge and experience that will allow the Collective as a whole to grow. This is the source of the conflict within the Collective. The good side knows that for the diclonius race to succeed, it must not destroy all life. If it does, the Diclonius Collective will wither and perish because that which doesn't sustain itself, dies." A strained laugh erupted from Jin. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it, Lucy?" Lucy sighed with a nod. "Just think of this Collective as an ocean of minds with storms of Fury blowing across it. When a diclonius is born, part of this Collective evaporates and heads over land, raining into the newborn diclonius. Each part of the Collective that rains into the newborn diclonius has components of both the good part and the Fury. We all have the desire to return to this Collective, though we don't realize it until we have matured.

"The Collective connects us together so we can sense each other when in close proximity to one another. It gives us our vectors to use as tools to insure our survival. As we move along in life, we're faced with difficult choices, same as the humans. Sometimes, we're forced to kill one of our own. When that happens, the victor of the battle absorbs the dead diclonius' life force, vectors, knowledge, and their Fury…making the victor stronger and more unpredictable. Everything that was the loser becomes part of the winner, including his or her Fury. Invariably, even the soul of the loser will become attached to the victor, though the victor doesn't necessarily absorb it. They're ghosts that haunt the victor for the rest of his or her days. Do you understand what I'm saying? Two drops of water become one." Lucy abruptly looked down with a troubled sigh, knowing the truth of his statement.

"Oh…" Mayu murmured. "And as they make their way downstream, they keep adding more and more until they become a stream or river."

"Exactly," Jin stated. "They keep growing until they're cut down by a stronger foe or until they reach the Collective at the ocean. However, in this water cycle, all of the water flows to one place before entering the Collective."

"Wait a second," Kohta interrupted. "Let me see if I understand this. You're saying that if you were to attack Lucy and kill her...her powers, knowledge, and soul would become part of yours?"

"Basically," Jin answered bluntly.

"Then why haven't you killed her?" Kohta demanded. "You're claiming that Lucy's the only one who has the power to access the Collective. So why don't you kill her so you can be the top cheese?"

"You don't understand," Jin replied. "Those of us who're allied with the good part of the Collective would never attack our Queen. The point I'm trying to make here is there's a war going on inside the Collective, not just out here in the physical realm. The Collective is out of balance, causing this conflict within every diclonius. This is why we're so unpredictable. However, the Queen who has access to the Collective has the power to decide the issue. If someone becomes the Queen who has let the Fury take her, all is lost. You must understand something. We're an infant race. We've just emerged and up until now, there's been no true Queen. Now that Lucy has emerged as the true Queen, there's going to be major trouble because those whom the Fury has taken seek to destroy her and absorb her power. They're coming from all over the world to Japan to kill her or die trying. What we're facing is what could be euphemistically called a diclonius apocalypse. This King is just one of many who wish to take the power of the Queen. There's only one option…Lucy must heal herself and destroy that King. After that, she must enter the Collective and settle the issue for all diclonius. When that happens, hopefully the murderous instinct we all have will be tamed."

Lucy felt her heart fall like a stone into a pond. Her face grew pale as she finally grasped how precarious the situation was. She grabbed onto Kohta, holding him tight. Kohta put his good arm around her in support. Jin sighed as he saw their expressions…one of horror, shock and disbelief. "I warned you that it wouldn't be pleasant," he declared.

"How do you know so much about this?" Myra demanded.

"Because I'm one of a select few who have actually touched the Collective," Jin stated.

"Wait a minute," Kohta barked. "I thought you said only Lucy could do that."

"I said only Lucy could ACCESS the Collective," Jin replied. "Any diclonius can touch it and receive information. However, only Lucy, as the true Queen, can go into the Collective and survive. The Collective is a dangerous place, even for someone of my strength. I've only touched it once, though I've approached it many times. Sometimes I've retrieved information just by being near it. It depends upon who's in charge of that area of the Collective. I've witnessed other diclonius weaker than I am touching the Collective and the Fury destroyed them. There's one particular incident that I remember vividly that happened not too long ago." He proceeded to describe the incident.

Jin stood on the featureless plain around the Collective, staring at it from a distance of six hundred yards. Its colossal spherical form spanned hundreds of miles across. The lower third of it lay buried in the plain on which he stood. Inside the sphere, immense clashing clouds of darkness and light boiled and rumbled in complete chaos. He noticed a small diclonius girl approaching the side. She couldn't have been more than 14 years old. A sinking feeling hit Jin as the girl approached the dark side of the Collective where the black clouds raged. Instantly, he sprinted toward the girl as she reached out to touch it. "Don't touch it!" he shouted urgently, coming within 50 yards of the girl. She abruptly looked back at him when her hand touched the Collective. The churning black cloud shot out a filament toward the girl. Jin skidded to a halt as the shadowy tentacle wrapped around her hand. She shrieked while the tentacle flowed up her arm to her torso, coiling around it and squeezing. Blood gushed from her nose and mouth as it picked her up, dragging her into the sphere. The girl clawed viciously at the tentacle. Her terrified wail echoed across the plain. Jin stood there, powerless to save her. As the tentacle dragged her into the sphere, the girl's body and mind crumbled once it passed into the sphere. The imprint of her horrified face remained on the wall of the Collective, slowly fading away. Tears dripped from Jin's eyes as he clenched his fist in anger and grief.

"So, you see…the Collective is a very dangerous place," he declared upon finishing the account. "Unfortunately for that girl, the Fury was in control of that area. It consumed her, adding her Fury to its own. I suspect what is happening there is the Fury of the Collective is absorbing the Fury of every diclonius it can find so it can overwhelm the good side of the Collective."

"You speak as if they're two separate entities," Myra observed.

"That's because they are," Jin stated. "That's why there's a war within the diclonius. The one time I touched the Collective, I was extremely lucky. The good side had control of the area I touched and it showed me a brief glimpse of the Collective itself. There's where I discovered my true calling." Again, he started into a description of the event.

Jin approached the Collective cautiously. "I must know," he muttered, forcing his hand to touch the side of the shimmering sphere where the white clouds were. The white cloud sent out a tentacle and touched his hand, coiling around it. Jin gasped and tried to pull back, only to be frozen in place.

"Jin Ryu Osabi," a mysterious voice echoed from the sphere. "You take great risk in touching us."

Jin noticed the cloud tentacle swirling around his hand. Yet it didn't advance upon him as he'd seen the black tentacle do to countless others. Staring into the Collective, he saw a form appeared in front of him inside the sphere. Slowly, it resolved into a diclonius woman who looked exactly like Lucy. She placed her hand against his on the wall of the sphere, stating, "Your fears are justified. Remaining in contact with us will be lethal. Find the girl who has this form. She's the only one who can access the Collective and stop this conflict. She's the mouthpiece of the Collective and our only hope. Be aware that her mind is fractured and is in need of healing."

"Who am I?" Jin asked.

"You're her elite guard," she replied. "It's your task to protect her and make sure she doesn't succumb to the Fury. For if she does, the Collective is doomed. Now go and don't return until you've found her. The King of Japan has set his sights on merging with her. Stop him." With that, the figure faded away while the tentacle slapped him viciously. Jin flew a hundred yards and landed with groan.

"I laid there stunned for I don't know how long," he stated after finishing the account. "When I came to, I immediately began my search for you, Lucy. That was long before you were captured. I used all of ARGUS' resources to locate you. However, you were nowhere to be found until your capture by Kurama. I'm sorry for what they did to your friend. It was uncalled for. She was a true friend from what I understand."

"Aiko…" Lucy whispered. "She took that bullet for me. However, Kurama didn't save her like he promised."

"I know," Jin stated. "It was a senseless tragedy. However, you must understand that things are not always as they seem. Let me demonstrate." Lucy's face tightened as a scowl crossed her face. Jin saw this and added, "Please…don't misjudge me. I'm not going to do anything to you." He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his little communicator. Placing it in his ear, he said, "Doctor…would you care to come in here for a moment? There's someone I want you to meet." He paused for a moment and then added, "Okay." With that, he removed the device and pocketed it. Gazing into Lucy's eyes, he said, "I have a doctor friend I want you to meet, Lucy. You may remember her from your past." Lucy's eyebrow rose with her suspicion.

A knock echoed from the open door and everyone looked, seeing a young woman of nineteen years in a white doctor's coat and a blue skirt. Her build was athletic and slender, with long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. She had a stethoscope hanging around her neck. "This better be good, Jin," she chided. "I was tending to the young lady you rescued."

"This will only take a few moments of your time, Doctor," Jin crowed with a smile.

A gasp escaped her lips as her brown eyes fell upon Lucy wrapped in bandages. Lucy's eyes grew wide while the woman stared at her. The woman walked toward Lucy in a daze, tears rising in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me, Jin?" the doctor rebuked.

"You know why," Jin replied. "Besides, you just arrived from Kyoto. I didn't have time to tell you."

"Aiko?" Lucy asked, her eyes bulging and her mouth hanging open.

The doctor walked to Lucy, dropping to her knees in front of her. Tears streamed from her eyes as she reached out to Lucy. "I don't believe it…how did you escape those beasts?"

"Lucy…I'd like you to meet your old friend, Aiko Takada," Jin crowed with a smile.

"No!" Lucy balked, shaking her head and closing her eyes. "It can't be you! You're dead! This is some kind of cruel joke!" Lucy turned to Jin, her face twisted with anger and grief. "Why are you doing this to me? Aiko is dead!"

"On the contrary, Lucy," Jin stated calmly. "She's very much alive and sits right in front of you. Don't let the hatred and Fury deny what's sitting right in front of you. I saved Aiko myself from Kakuzawa's goons at the museum three years ago."

"No…no, it can't be true!" Lucy cried in utter disbelief. "He said she was dead!" Lucy buried her face in Kohta's chest, refusing to look at Aiko.

Kohta held her gently, tears running down his cheeks. He had no answers to give her so he stroked her back gently to give emotional support.

Aiko reached out and touched Lucy on the arm. One of Lucy's vectors emerged and struck at Aiko. However, before her vector connected with Aiko, Jin subdued it with his vector, saying, "Please don't do that again, Lucy. This is no trick. She really is your friend."

Aiko sighed, tears running down her cheeks. Without warning, she pounced and embraced both Lucy and Kohta, crying, "Please…don't push me out, Lucy. You're my friend. Don't you remember me?"

Lucy suddenly looked up at Aiko with an icy glare and tears streaming. She stared into Aiko's eyes, hissing between the sobs, "If you're really Aiko, then tell me something only the two of us would know."

Aiko returned the stare with unconditional love, saying, "I'll do better than that…I'll show you." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a locket. She opened it, revealing a picture of Lucy and her together in a photo booth. Both of them had smiles on their faces. "Do you remember this picture?" she asked Lucy.

Lucy gasped and reached out, taking the locket from Aiko. Her eyes grew wide and she choked, remembering that happy day.

"What do you want to do now?" Aiko asked Lucy while they walked down the carnival's crowded boardwalk.

Lucy finished eating her ice-cream cone, seeing a photo booth. "Let's go in there," she said, pointing to the booth. "I'd like to have something to remember this day."

"Sure," Aiko chimed and they went into the booth. For five minutes, they took a series of pictures…their laughter echoing from the booth. Afterwards, they sat on a bench on the boardwalk, looking over the pictures. "That was fun," Aiko stated with a chuckle.

"Yea," Lucy replied in a subdued tone.

"What's wrong?" Aiko asked.

Lucy sighed, saying, "Oh…nothing. I was just reminded of something that happened a long time ago."

Aiko patted her on the shoulder. "I don't care what you may have done in the past. It's none of my business. I'm not going to let the past ruin our friendship."

"You really think of me as a friend?" Lucy asked.

"Absolutely," Aiko replied. "As long as I live, I'll be your friend…no matter what happens. I'll always be there for you." She then flipped through the pictures and pulled out the last one. It showed Aiko and Lucy together with their arms on each other's shoulders. Smiles plastered their faces. The most striking thing about the picture was Lucy wasn't wearing her hat. Her horns were clearly visible. "I think this picture says it all," Aiko stated. "Friends forever…wouldn't you say that's a good description of this shot?"

"Yea," Lucy admitted. "Thank you, Aiko."

Aiko smiled, saying, "You're very welcome. Here's your set of the pictures. Keep them so if we're ever parted, you'll remember this day and me. Who knows what may happen tomorrow?"

Lucy's face fell, her fear and concern showing. Aiko put her arm around Lucy, adding, "Don't worry…I'm not going anywhere. Now let's go on the carousel. I've always liked them."

Lucy smiled as she pocketed the pictures. "Okay…me too," she replied. They rose and headed for the carousel.

Lucy looked up from the picture in the locket as she came out of her remembrance. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she gazed into Aiko's eyes. "Do you remember what I called that picture?" Aiko asked.

"Friends forever," Lucy answered, her voice trembling. "We went on the carousel after that picture was taken."

"That's right," Aiko affirmed. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I had no idea you were even alive until a few minutes ago. I had no idea you were the Lucy everyone was talking about." She turned a harsh glare toward Jin, hissing, "Someone left me outside the loop. I don't appreciate that at all, Jin."

"I'm sorry, Aiko," Jin stated. "This operation was on a need-to-know basis and you didn't need to know until now."

"That's still no reason to do that to her," Kohta chided, realizing Aiko was a friend Lucy made after her attack on his family. Jin shrugged off the scold as Aiko and Lucy stared at each other.

"Do you believe in me now?" Aiko asked Lucy softly.

Lucy abruptly let go of Kohta and embraced Aiko. "Yes…I thought you were dead!" Lucy wept.

"I almost was," Aiko replied. "I don't remember much about the incident except that I was shot at the museum by some soldiers. When I finally woke up, I was in a hospital bed in Sapporo surrounded by agents of ARGUS. Jin was one of them I remember seeing when I woke."

Lucy stared at Jin as he stated, "It was close, too. We moved in and secured Aiko as Kakuzawa's people were about to kill her in the ambulance." His mind drifted to the incident.

The ambulance sat behind the museum in an alleyway. The paramedics rushed Aiko on a stretcher to the open doors of the ambulance. Jin and his team watched closely from their hiding place on a nearby roof. The bullet hole in her chest continued to bleed as the paramedics closed the doors. Aiko faded in and out of consciousness. Jin gestured to his team after the ambulance door shut and they descended upon the ambulance with complete stealth, taking out the guards around the ambulance with cruel efficiency. The silenced machine guns rattled and the four soldiers fell simultaneously without so much as a shriek. Jin and his team could hear the paramedics arguing as they approached the ambulance.

"So what do we do with her?" one of the paramedics asked.

"She doesn't make it to the hospital," the chief paramedic answered coldly. "That's what they want."

"What are you talking about?" a second paramedic asked. "We can't just let her die!"

"Yes, we can," the chief replied. "We have no choice. Either she dies or we do. They're not going to let any witnesses live." He picked up an empty syringe and moved toward Aiko. Jin peeked in the back window, seeing everything.

The other two paramedics rushed the chief. Two gunshots went off and they fell dead…their brains splattered all over the chief, Aiko, and the interior of the ambulance. Jin ducked for cover briefly, motioning for two of his men to move around the front of the ambulance. He then peeked back through the window, seeing the driver holding a forty-five automatic on the chief. The chief's eyes grew round upon seeing the weapon. "Do it or I will," the driver hissed.

"You're going to kill me too, aren't you?" the chief asked. The driver grinned wickedly, squeezing the trigger. Suddenly, he gasped, dropping the gun. A second later, his eyes glazed and he collapsed dead on the floor of the ambulance, blood dribbling from his mouth.

The back door rattled and opened, revealing a pink-haired male diclonius wearing combat fatigues holding a nine-millimeter pistol. Around him stood four soldiers with machine guns…all trained on the chief. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," the diclonius growled. "Drop the syringe."

The chief dropped the syringe and held his hands up. "Please don't kill me, whoever you are!"

"The name's Jin and I'm not going to kill you," the diclonius replied, climbing into the ambulance, followed by soldier. "You're coming with us. Sergeant…get this thing moving while I work on this kid."

"Yes sir," one of the soldiers outside the ambulance barked. Two soldiers climbed in front of the ambulance and they started moving.

"What're you going to do to me?" the chief asked, terrified as Jin examined Aiko.

"Nothing," he replied. "...unless you want me to. Now be of some help and get an IV hooked up. We need to save this girl."

The chief moved into action, asking, "You're not with those other guys, are you?"

"You talk too much," Jin observed.

"They said they'd kill us if this girl didn't die," the chief responded while starting the IV.

"Don't you worry about those shits," Jin replied. "You're safe with us."

"If we had been just a moment later, Aiko and that paramedic would've been dead," Jin explained after ending his account. "We took her to our private hospital in Sapporo. It was the only place safe from Kakuzawa's goons at the time. Apparently, they wanted her dead because she was a witness. Anyone known to have contact with any diclonius is killed. Those are the direct orders from Kakuzawa. They never intended to let Aiko live. You can thank our spies within the Institute at the time for relaying the information that kept Aiko alive. Now, she's one of our premier doctors. She showed a natural affinity for the work. I specifically asked for her because of her connection to you, Lucy."

"Well, if you were there, then why didn't you rescue Lucy too?" Kohta asked bluntly. Lucy's expression rose at the question.

"We couldn't," Jin stated. "Kakuzawa had the place locked down. There were just too many men to deal with. Besides, we didn't learn about the operation until the last minute. By time we arrived, Lucy had already been caught. To be honest, we didn't realize who was caught until afterwards. Our primary objective was to gather intelligence on Kakuzawa's tactics. Saving Aiko was a spur of the moment judgment call I made. I just couldn't let them kill her, especially since the ambulance was outside their main perimeter."

"That makes sense," Myra stated. "What kind of troop levels were they using?"

"Approximately thirty," Jin declared. "Apparently, they'd been hunting Lucy for some time. The ambulance was a weak point in their lockdown so I made use of it. We were ordered not to be seen by Kakuzawa's people, nor engage them."

"How many was in your team?" Myra probed.

"That day, I led a team of six," Jin replied. "They were the best scouts ARGUS had at the time. We quickly determined that extracting Lucy was beyond our capabilities. Therefore, we saw an opportunity to make a difference by rescuing Aiko."

"So you didn't even try to rescue Lucy," Kohta hissed.

"That's right," Jin replied. "There was nothing we could do in the face of such numbers."

"Says you," Kohta retorted.

"I can't change the past," Jin returned coldly. "I had orders and to be honest with you, those orders didn't include saving Aiko. I violated orders by saving her and was disciplined for it. Shit…at the time this occurred, you didn't even know if Lucy still existed. If we knew who Lucy was at the time, I'm sure ARGUS would've sent a team large enough to deal with Kakuzawa's people. But we didn't know." Kohta sat glaring at Jin.

"Calm down, Kohta," Myra cooed. "There's no point in holding a grudge over something that happened three years ago. We need to deal with what's in front of us right now. You should be happy that Lucy has reunited with her friend."

Kohta sighed, looking at Aiko as she gazed into Lucy's eyes. "It's still not right what happened."

"No one is saying it was," Jin declared. "Much has happened since then. Little did I realize that night who Aiko was. I was merely saving an innocent. I'm truly glad I did. I regret nothing."

"I'm sure you are," Lucy commented coldly. Then to Aiko, she whispered, "I still can't believe my eyes. When I thought you were dead, I snapped and swore to destroy everything Kurama had."

"So, Lucy…what do you say now?" Jin asked. "Do you trust me now?"

"I don't know," Lucy replied. "You did attack Kohta."

"You did what?" Aiko asked.

"He attacked me to draw Lucy out," Kohta growled.

"Jin…how could you?" Aiko scolded. "You know how much he means to her."

"I'm not defending what I did," Jin answered. "It was my only option at the time. Lucy had to be present for what I needed to say. I'd have never killed him. In fact, if any damage had occurred, I'd have repaired it myself. You must understand…this is a very serious situation we're in and we don't have the luxury of time. There are diclonii descending on Japan with one thought in mind…to kill Lucy and take her power. These diclonius who have succumbed to the Fury have one philosophy…survival of the fittest. Only the strongest of us will survive. They're willing to kill not just humans, but also other diclonius to order to become the strongest. If they succeed, then a war will erupt that will burn the world to ashes. Nuclear weapons will be used because the humans aren't going down without a fight. There's something else I forgot to mention. When a diclonius dies either of natural causes or by human hands, their essence and power is drawn to the most powerful full-blood diclonius in a given area. If there are no full-blood diclonius in an area, they'll search for a silpelit. Mariko's power was created this way. I'm certain of it. Every diclonius killed at the Institute used Mariko a surrogate since they couldn't find Lucy. That's because of the restraints they had her in. They must've altered her restraints to allow that as an experiment. Now what's happening is that every diclonius has sensed Lucy's distress call. The Fury calls them to find her and destroy her because it knows that she is the solution to the imbalance in the Collective. It wishes to destroy her and absorb her power before she can use it to rectify the situation."

Lucy turned a cold eye to Jin, shaking her head. "This is bullshit. Who decided that I was the Queen of all Diclonius? I sure didn't. Did you? What about your friends?"

"The Collective decided," Jin answered. "From the moment you were born, you were destined to be the true Queen. Do you remember the water cycle illustration? What I didn't tell you is that because we're a hive mind, each diclonius essence that evaporates from the Collective is unique with a certain job to do. The importance of the task determines the size of the piece of the Collective that settles in that particular diclonius. Take me for example. My piece of the Collective is fairly large because of the job I was assigned. I'm diclonius Special Forces from the Collective assigned to protect the Queen. When I awoke to my power at four years old, I had seven vectors that could reach ten meters. Over the years, I killed both humans and diclonius…some without remorse. With each diclonius I killed, my power grew. Now I have the power of a king…though I'm not a king. I have thirty vectors that can reach twenty-eight meters. My strength easily allows me to pick up seventy tons of material. The knowledge I've assimilated from my kills and from being a frequent visitor to the Collective allows me to not just kill, but also heal. I can hide myself from other diclonius and use my vectors to become invisible. Let me demonstrate." With that, six vectors spun from his back and coiled around him. He vanished from sight. Gasps escaped everyone's lips. "I'm still here and can move objects while invisible," his voice echoed in the room as a glass floated by itself. Seconds later, the glass settled on the floor and he reappeared. "This is how I rescued you from the burning house. Seldom do I have to use all my vectors. Everyone who's approached and tried to kill me has been unsuccessful. I give them many opportunities to leave because I don't get pleasure in killing. However, most don't leave and I kill them. Remember…it's survival of the fittest.

"With that in mind, let's look at you, Lucy. You're the true Queen. Your piece is the largest that has ever emanated from the Collective. My piece, even with all those I've vanquished, is just a small piece compared to yours. However, your piece is divided into four pieces within you. This is why you're still weak. Each of your four personalities is a piece of that large piece. You, Lucy, are the largest piece being you're the dominant personality. Your dark side…the one Nyu calls Bad Lucy is another sizeable chunk. That piece connects you to the Fury within the Collective. Kaeda, on the other hand, is a surprise. I'm not sure about her. I suspect she may be your connection to the good side of the Collective. I can't be sure about that until I speak to her. Even Nyu is a piece…a piece that you created from your piece when you escaped the Institute. She embodies your love, innocence, and desire not to kill. The point I'm making is that until you reunite these four pieces of the Collective that reside within you, you will remain weak and unable to defend yourself…much less go into the Collective and end the war between the Light and Darkness. You, Lucy, are the Gatekeeper of the Collective and hold the fate of both humanity and the diclonius world in your hands."

"So you're saying that Lucy could very well be the ultimate diclonius?" Myra asked, stunned by the revelations.

"Yes," Jin replied. "When she heals her fractured mind, her power will be almost godlike in scope. It's hard to tell how many vectors she could have, their reach, or how strong she may become."

Lucy shook her head again. "This is still bullshit! I don't want to be this Queen. I just want everyone to leave me alone so Kohta and I can live in peace."

"I hear you," Doug stated. "I can relate and so can Jin. We want the same thing. What he's telling you is that the world will not leave you and Kohta alone until you resolve this issue. As long as this war is raging in the Collective, it's not going to happen. Those poisoned with the Fury will come and try to kill you because you're the true Queen. The only chance you have is to go into the Collective and end the strife that has poisoned us from the moment we were born. Only then will you be able to find that peace you covet."

"So I have no choice, like always," Lucy hissed, her ears turning red with anger.

"I'm afraid not," Jin stated. "To tell the truth, none of us do. Things are now in motion that cannot be stopped. Many are going to die before this is over…both human and diclonius. We must find a way to end it before we destroy the earth and ourselves. Please, just think about it. If you don't believe me and want to leave, we won't stop you. However, just know that it's my job to protect you and your friends wherever you go. That's why I'm here and I will do just that. So will Doug and the rest of ARGUS…at least the ones who I have command over. We're here to serve you as your guard."

Lucy sighed deeply, grumbling, "I guess I should thank you for saving us." Just then, a monk knocked on the door.

Everyone looked and Jin asked, "What is it?"

The monk bowed and entered, saying, "Master Jin, Master Shen, we have a serious problem."

"What's happened?" Shen asked.

"We just received an urgent warning from headquarters," the monk answered. "This monastery has been compromised. Kakuzawa knows where we are and is mobilizing for an attack."

"How did this happen?" Jin snapped.

"Someone tipped them off," the monk replied. "Headquarters thinks Kakuzawa has spies infiltrated into ARGUS. They're presently tracking down the only people who had access to our whereabouts."

"Damn it!" Jin cursed, his eyes flashing with anger. Suddenly, his head turned abruptly toward Kamakura, sensing the King. Lucy, Nana, and Doug also sensed him, turning the same direction.

"It's him, isn't it?" Nana asked with a trembling tone.

"Yes," Jin hissed icily. "The one Kakuzawa calls Sixty-Six is trying to locate us. I'm certain he is the King who wants Lucy. Damn that Kakuzawa…how did he get Sixty-Six to cooperate?"

"Is this bad?" Mayu asked.

"Yes," Shen stated, "…very bad. This Sixty-Six is the most powerful diclonius Kakuzawa was ever able to capture, aside from Lucy. Jin seems to think this Sixty-Six may be the king of the colony here in Japan. The fact they're sensing him indicates that Kakuzawa is trying to make use of him…possibly to find Lucy."

"That's very probable," Jin agreed. "With the failures of his SAT units to capture Lucy, he's doing something desperate. I fear it may be a lethal mistake on his part. The King is extremely intelligent and very sadistic. He has no qualms about using people and killing them after he's done with them."

"So what do we do?" Myra asked.

"There's no choice…we must evacuate these premises immediately," Jin stated. "We must go underground so that even headquarters doesn't know where we are. If there are truly spies inside ARGUS, then this operation is in jeopardy. We may actually have traitors within the organization. Who knows what Kakuzawa has done and whom he has influence over inside ARGUS at this point. This may be the beginning of another split within the organization. What do you think, Shen?"

"I believe your assessment is correct," Shen answered. "I know for a fact that recently there's been some friction between the factions within ARGUS. Some of them are starting to lean toward imprisonment and possible eradication of the diclonius. With Lucy's escape from the Institute, those who fear the diclonius are now openly questioning whether we're doing the right thing. I, for one, am not one of them. I know what we're doing is the right thing. Therefore, I totally agree with your opinion. We should go underground. Be aware, however, that by doing so, we'll also be hunted by ARGUS, not just Kakuzawa."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" Kohta blurted out. "Now you're saying your organization is going to hunt us too? This is insane! I thought you were supposed to be our friends!"

"We are," Jin replied calmly. "What's happening is unfortunate, but not unexpected. We knew there was a rift forming in ARGUS. It's been developing for some time. Fate wasn't kind to us by having this problem explode right now. However, don't worry…we'll protect you. This is why we're here. I have trusted allies all over this country and not all of them are in ARGUS. I think I know where we can go and be safe long enough for Lucy to heal herself." He looked to the monk and asked, "Who sent the warning, Tian?"

"The warning came from Saito in the intelligence division," the monk replied. "He was particularly urgent about the fact that Kakuzawa was already mobilizing."

"Saito's all right," Jin declared. "I know him well and trust him. If he says the Institute is mobilizing, then it's a fact. Please, pardon me everyone while I speak to him." He suddenly stood and walked out, followed by Tian.

Kohta shook his head. "This is a nightmare. Please…someone wake me up!"

"I hate to say this, but I don't think this is a dream, Kohta," Myra stated.

"This is the nightmare scenario Jin was hoping to avoid," Shen stated. "It seems we were too late to stop it. I'm truly sorry. We'll do all we can to insure your safety."

"A hollow promise," Lucy sneered. "You couldn't even protect this place. How do you expect to protect us when the whole world is hunting me? Will you just hand me over to them to save your own skin?"

"Perish the thought!" Shen retorted. "We believe you're the only one who can end this insanity. I'll let you rip me apart before I betray you like that."

"What's happening isn't their fault, Lucy," Aiko declared. "Neither is it yours. Events have taken on a life of their own. I seriously doubt that anyone is truly pulling the strings now."

"Miss Takada is correct," Doug agreed. "This situation has reached critical mass and is beyond the control of any one person or group. It seems that the whole world is now fighting over you." He smiled, adding, "You can't say that you don't feel just a little desired since everyone is after you."

"I wouldn't call it that," Lucy growled. "They can just go to hell. I want nothing to do with them."

"That's not going to stop them and you know it," Shen stated.

"Then they will die," Lucy returned coldly. "It's very simple…leave me be or die."

Mayu's eyes grew wide and her fear of Lucy exploded. "You can't mean that!" she blurted out. "You just can't kill people for not leaving you alone."

"And why not?" Lucy hissed, looking at Mayu with icy daggers in her eyes.

"Because it isn't right, Lucy," Kohta replied softly. She turned and glared at him. "You just can't kill people for not leaving you alone. I thought you wanted to stop the killing. What I'm hearing now is sounding a lot like your dark half…the one who killed my family. You have to fight her, Lucy. However, you don't have to fight her alone any more. Let me help." Lucy face fell, knowing Kohta and Mayu were right. She cast an apologetic look at Mayu and was about to speak when Jin stepped into the doorway.

"The boy's right," Jin stated. "That was the Fury within you speaking. You must fight it, my Queen. However, as Kohta pointed out, you are not alone in this fight. Let us help you tame that Fury."

"What did you tell Saito?" Shen asked.

"I told him we were implementing Phase 3," Jin stated. "Under the circumstances, he agreed with my decision. We're going underground."

"We're going to have to disable everyone's chips," Shen stated.

"That goes without saying," Jin returned. "That's going to be our first priority. They mustn't be able to track us. That's how they found us this time."

"So where are we heading?" Doug asked.

Jin smiled wryly. "South…we're going to Aso. I have friends there…friends we can trust."

"What about Yuka?" Kohta asked.

"Don't worry…she's coming too," Jin stated. "I wouldn't dream of leaving her behind. Now, if will again excuse us, we have to prepare to get out of here. Doug, Shen, Aiko…let's get to work. Time is short."

"What about us?" Myra asked. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Myra, you can help Aiko move the young lady," Jin stated. "Mayu and Nana can help too if they want. Otherwise, they should stay here."

"I'm going to help Yuka," Mayu chimed.

"Me too," Nana stated. "Are you and Kohta going to be all right, Lucy?"

Lucy and Kohta looked at each other for a second. "We'll be fine," Kohta replied. "Just don't forget we're here."

"Not at all," Jin said. "We'll be back in a few minutes. Come on, people. We've a job to do." With that, everyone left the room, leaving Kohta and Lucy alone.

"Are you all right?" he asked Lucy once everyone left.

"I don't know, Kohta," Lucy replied. "Something really strange is happening here. I feel kind of disjointed, like I'm living out someone else's nightmare."

"So do I," Kohta agreed. "I still don't know whether we should trust this Jin or not. However, it seems for the moment we have no choice."

Lucy gazed into his eyes for a moment. She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder while wrapping her arm around him. He put his arm around her and kissed her on her temple. For several minutes, they sat, holding each other. "Kohta…" Lucy said softly.

"Yea?" he replied.

"Do you believe what he said?" she asked.

"I don't know what to believe right now," Kohta responded. "I'm sorry I asked what was going on. However…" He lifted Lucy's chin with his finger so he could look into her eyes. "…in a strange, twisted way, what he said makes sense. I'm glad he saved us. I wasn't ready to die…not after just getting you back."

"Me too," Lucy whispered, kissing him on the lips. After the kiss, he smiled warmly at her and gave her a gently squeeze as they waited on Jin to return.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: I apologize for taking so long. This was an intricate chapter full of revelations. That was quite a bombshell Jin dropped, don't you think? Now that everyone has some idea of what's happening, how's Lucy going to respond with the whole world now wanting her for one reason or another? What about her reunion with Aiko? Will she and Aiko truly revive their friendship? We shall see as the situation develops. I hope everyone liked the surprises I put in. I also hope Jin's explanations helped to answer some fundamental questions about the diclonius. As always, reviews are welcome and encouraged. Be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	9. Chapter 9 Complications

Chapter 9

Complications

Suko stood on a balcony of the Institute overlooking the bay. A cool wind stirred her hair as she stared at Kamakura. Fingering a small disk in her lab coat, she sighed with a tight smile decorating her face. _I have him now,_ she thought. _The King's information panned out. Now I have to find a way to get this information out. He's going to pay for what he's doing here to those kids and to me_.

As she gazed at the city, the door behind her opened. "Dr. Arakawa," a voice called out. She refused to turn as another sigh escaped her lips. "The Director wants to have a word with you. Please come with us." In less than thirty seconds, four soldiers with machine guns surrounded her…their guns trained on her.

Turning to the voice, she immediately recognized the chief of security, Ezra Makoto. Her heart fell into her shoes. "What's the problem that you need these guys and their guns to get me, Ezra?" she growled, trying to hide her fear.

"You know what this is about. Just come with me, Doctor," Ezra stated. He took her by the arm and escorted her to the Director's Office.

* * *

Meanwhile in his prison, Sixty-Six smiled wickedly, sensing what befell Suko. "She is so gullible!" he cackled. "Now my plan is set into motion. Soon, I will be free and she'll no longer be of use to me."

* * *

The Director stood looking out the office window when Ezra escorted Suko in. Turning to the soldiers, Ezra ordered, "Wait outside." They saluted and retreated, closing the door behind them.

"Miss Arakawa," the Director growled. "You disappoint me greatly. I thought you would have learned by now that nothing escapes my notice in this facility." He turned to Suko with a deep scowl on his face. "There was an unauthorized access of top secret files this morning at 5AM. You're really stupid to snoop in my private affairs."

"What're you talking about?" Suko asked, eyes wide. "I was asleep."

"Don't lie to me, Suko," Kakuzawa hissed. He turned the monitor around on his desk, showing Suko in the Institute's computer core directly accessing and downloading sensitive material. She grew pale as Ezra kept a firm hand on her upper arm. "We caught you red-handed downloading top-secret material you didn't have clearance to see. How you got my key code and password is a mystery I intend to solve. Lazarus was not for your eyes. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Suko looked down for a moment and sighed, trembling with chills racing down her spine. When she finally looked up, she hissed, "You're not going to get away with this. What you're doing is an abomination to everything that's decent! You're tampering with something that could destroy us all!"

Kakuzawa walked up and glared at her. "Where's the disk? I'm only going to ask once."

Suko snapped and lashed out with her free hand. Kakuzawa easily blocked it as Ezra grappled with her, pinning her arms behind her. "Such fire…too bad you chose extinction over life. You had such promise, too," Kakuzawa declared icily. Without warning, he launched a vicious right cross against Suko. His iron fist connected with her jaw with such force that Ezra lost control of her as she fell to the floor, blood running from her nose and mouth. "Stupid bitch," he cursed. "You should've heeded my warnings. Now there's no way back for you."

Ezra dropped to his knees and examined Suko as she moaned, heavily stunned by the sledgehammer hit. "I believe this is what you're looking for, Mr. Director," he announced, holding up a disk after searching her pockets.

Kakuzawa took the disk from Ezra and squatted down in front of Suko, holding the disk out as her eyes opened. "You wanted to know about Lazarus, Miss Arakawa. Now you will see first hand what Lazarus is…Guards!" The soldiers who escorted Suko in returned. "Ezra…take her to Lazarus. She will learn the price of her folly. Also, find out how she got my key code and password. Do whatever's necessary."

"Yes sir," Ezra stated as he motioned to the soldiers to pick her up. With that, they left with Suko.

Kakuzawa gazed icily at the disk for a moment. "How'd she get into that file? No one except me knows the access codes for those files." He dropped the disk into his computer while sitting down at his desk. The machine hummed, and then the display came up. Kakuzawa stared in disbelief. "What the hell is this?" he hissed, seeing a graphic animation of him falling to pieces…complete with blood and his guts falling out. Below the animation, he saw the words: 'Death of a half-breed god.' The animation moved in slow-motion, showing him falling apart as if a diclonius had ripped him apart. It kept repeating. The veins on his neck protruded as his face turned beet red. He rammed his fist through the monitor, destroying it and cutting his hand badly. "God damn it…she still has the disk! I'll teach that bitch to fuck with me!" With that, he stormed out of his office, leaving the disk in the computer. As he entered the hall, Sixty-six penetrated into his mind.

_What's the matter, half-breed? Did someone get the better of you?_ Sixty-six crowed.

"Shut the hell up!" Kakuzawa roared.

_I don't think so, half-breed,_ he replied, laughing him to scorn. _I think it's hilarious. A lowly teacher's assistant outwitted the great Kakuzawa. That's a riot! If someone like Suko can outwit you, then you're not as smart as you think. That means your plans for Lucy are just as suspect too. Your incompetence in capturing her is highlighted by this. You can't possibly be smart enough to guide the diclonius race into a new golden age._

Kakuzawa stopped in his tracks and growled, "One more word out of you and I will personally remove your head. Now shut up, you piece of shit!"

_You shouldn't have raped her, half-breed, _Sixty-six responded. _Now you have a terrible problem you could've avoided. All you had to do was keep your head out of your pants. Now what are you going to do?_

"I'm going to find the real disk," Kakuzawa hissed. "She can bury me with that file. Afterwards, I will use her carcass in my experiments."

_No…you won't, _Sixty-six declared.

"You're in no position to give orders, diclonius," he countered.

_On the contrary, I'm in a perfect position to do just that, _Sixty-six stated calmly. _If you want my help finding Lucy, then you will not touch her. If so much as one hair on her head is damaged, I won't help you. She's the only human I'll allow to come near me and not kill. Anyone else comes near me and they will end up like that picture of you on the disk. Such a nice piece of animation it is, too. I love it._

Kakuzawa smashed his fist against the wall, snarling, "I don't need you now. I found out where Lucy is without you. What do you say to that?"

_Oh…you believe your spies in ARGUS know where she is. We'll just see about that. When you find out that you missed Lucy yet again, you will come to me. So be mindful of how you treat Arakawa. Without her, I won't cooperate,_ Sixty-six answered coolly. With that, Sixty-six broke contact with Kakuzawa, laughing madly.

Kakuzawa shook his head; his face twisted by his rage. "Damn him…when I secure the disk, he's dead!" he cursed, rushing after Suko and Ezra.

* * *

Ezra and the soldiers stopped at the elevator to the lowest levels of the Institute. He placed his hand on the biometric pad while looking into the retina scanner. The scanner scanned his hand and eye. Seconds later, the elevator opened. Turning to the soldiers with him, he ordered, "Tsang, you will help me with Dr. Arakawa. The rest of you return to your posts. We can handle things from here."

"Yes sir," the other three soldiers barked, saluting after Ezra and Tsang took Suko from them. Ezra nodded to them as he and Tsang hauled Suko into the elevator. The soldiers promptly left once the doors closed. After punching the sub-level six button on the elevator's control panel, he looked Suko in the eye.

"Suko…are you still with us?" he asked. She stared stupidly; her eyes glazed from Kakuzawa's powerful hit with the left eye black and swelling. Blood trickled from her nose an mouth. A moan escaped her lips. He smiled, saying, "Good...you're still with us. Tsang, you know what to do."

"Yes sir," he replied, noticing Ezra slipping a sealed disk into Suko's pocket. Within seconds, Tsang pulled a small device from his pocket, pointing it at Ezra, who nodded. Two barbs sprang from the device, striking him in the chest. Fifty thousand volts surged through Ezra's body, sending him plummeting into darkness with a cry. Tsang pocketed the taser, pulling a small pistol-gripped hypodermic delivery device. He placed the device to Suko's neck and pulled the trigger. In less than a second, she fell unconscious, slumping in his arms. After pocketing the sedative, he picking her up with his machine gun slung across his shoulder and waited for the elevator doors to open. When they opened, two guards greeted them. "Another test subject for the Director," Tsang announced.

"Hey…that's Dr. Arakawa. Why is she a test subject now?" one of the guards asked.

"She crossed the Director," Tsang stated icily. "She asked too many questions, just like you're doing now."

The second guard glanced around Tsang, seeing Ezra lying unconscious on the floor. "Wait a minute…what's the security chief doing unconscious?" The guard pointed his machine gun at Tsang. "You're a spy, aren't you?"

Tsang smiled menacingly. The two guards suddenly gasped and dropped dead on the floor, blood oozing from their noses. "Sorry guys…I've a special delivery to make." With that, he ran down the hall carrying Suko.

* * *

At the same moment, Sixty-six gasped, feeling a foreign diclonius deep within his sphere of influence interfering with his plan. A growl escaped his lips. "God damned, where did he come from? He's clever, this diclonius who's taken Suko. He managed to hide himself from me like the one who protected Lucy from my attack. He must be from ARGUS to have such control over his power. I should've known they'd interfere. Well, no matter…I can get free without her. I'll just have to adapt my plan to fit the situation. However, when I find Suko and that diclonius, I will kill them very slowly for this betrayal."

* * *

Five minutes after dispatching the guards at the elevator, Tsang and Suko fled the Institute's soldiers in a speedboat, heading for Kamakura with helicopter gunships and other speedboats in hot pursuit. Tsang maneuvered the boat, dodging back and forth as his pursuers fired upon him. Suko lay in the belly of the boat behind the driver's seat, relatively safe from the bullets whizzing overhead. "Kraken, this is Phoenix. Target has been retrieved. We're under heavy attack and need immediate extraction," Tsang barked into a compact transmitter concealed within his helmet.

"Phoenix, this is Kraken," the reply came back through the headset as he dodged the latest round of rocket fire. "We have you on scope. Come around one hundred seventy degrees south by southeast. Go two kilometers and execute plan number Thirty-two."

"Yes sir," Tsang replied. He turned the boat to the southeast, continuing to dodge the bullets and rocket fire. One rocket exploded in the water just off the right side of the boat, rocking the boat violently, sending a spay of water and fire over the boat. "God damned!" Tsang cursed, regaining control of the boat. He glanced at Suko's unconscious form, making sure she was still intact. Three minutes later at the ordered location, he turned the boat around, setting up a game of chicken the closest pursuer. He lashed the wheel and throttle. After setting charges on the boat, he grabbed Suko. "Hold on, Suko. This isn't going to be pretty," he murmured while sitting on the back of the speeding boat. Pulling a flare gun, he shot the charges. A small explosion set the boat on fire, creating a smokescreen, allowing him and Suko to drop off the back of the boat undetected. Seconds later, the gunship launched rockets at the boat. The rockets, boat, and the lead pursuer's speedboat came together at the same time. The lead pursuer veered to the left too late. A massive explosion ensued, demolishing both boats. Pieces of the boats and soldiers went flying as the fireball rose fifty feet into the air.

"God damned!" the gunship pilot cursed.

"What happened?" a voice came through the radio.

"The bastard kamikazied one of our boats!" the pilot answered. "It happened so fast…"

"Find their bodies…the Director wants the disk! Find that disk!" the voice in the radio ordered.

"Yes sir," the pilot answered, setting his gunship to hover twenty feet over the wreckage while the other boats circled.

* * *

Meanwhile a hundred yards back, Tsang and Suko sank into the ocean. The blast knocked him unconscious. Suko suddenly awoke underwater. The moment she opened her mouth, the water rushed in. She looked around wildly, seeing Tsang unconscious with his arms firmly around her. Her eyes looked up, seeing the light from above as bubbles rose. She desperately tried to pry Tsang's arms off her with no success. Everything started to dim as she succumbed to the water and lack of oxygen. Several shapes approached her in the water. Yet she couldn't identify them before the darkness took her yet again. Peace came to her as she yielded to the inevitable.

The darkness became warm, and then slowly lightened. Next, she became incredibly cold and with a cough, the darkness fled. Water spewed from her mouth as she coughed. Someone patted her on the back as she laid on her side, coughing out the ocean. "You're going to be all right, Miss Arakawa," a voice said in her ear. "…just relax."

After she stopped coughing, she whispered, "Am I dead?"

"No," the voice answered her. "...far from it. It was close though."

"Where am I?" she asked, rolling on her back with a groan. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw herself in a small infirmary with a man in a doctor's coat hovering over her. She stared at him, seeing black hair, maroon eyes, and twin horns resembling cat ears sticking out of his head.

"You're on the research vessel, Kraken," the doctor stated. When he noticed her growing alarm, he added, "Don't be afraid, Miss Arakawa. I won't hurt you. The people who own this ship aren't affiliated with the Institute."

"Who are you?" she whispered, followed by a fit of coughing.

"Doctor Horace Ravenclaw," the doctor answered when her coughing subsided. "And yes, I'm a diclonius. However, I've learned to control the bloodlust that drives us to kill."

A sigh escaped her lips. "Thank you for saving me."

"You're most welcome, Miss Arakawa," Horace replied. "However, now you must rest. You have a concussion from where the Director struck you."

A flash memory of the hit struck her and she flinched. Suddenly she asked, "You're a diclonius, right?" He nodded. "Why isn't your hair pink?"

"I dyed my hair," he replied plainly. "I like black hair better than the pink. Besides, it makes my human comrades more comfortable."

"Oh…okay," she whispered. "I've never seen a diclonius who doesn't want to kill every human in sight. It's strange. I hope you believe that I never agreed to the atrocities Kakuzawa is committing you your kind. It's inhuman and despicable. No one should be treated like that."

"Of course I believe you, and I agree fully," Horace replied softly. "It is unconscionable what Kakuzawa does. We know all about it. You see, we have spies inside the Institute who have been watching you very carefully."

"What do you know about a guy who calls himself the King?" she asked abruptly.

Horace's face grew dark. "The King is a very dangerous diclonius. He doesn't believe that humans and our kind can live together in peace. You shouldn't go anywhere near him. Why do you ask?"

"I dreamed of him right after the Director raped me," she replied.

"Hold on, Kakuzawa raped you? Why?" Horace interrupted.

"I don't know," she replied. "He never said. But from the bits I saw while downloading the files, I think he was planning on using me as a surrogate of some kind. He is obsessed with creating the ultimate diclonius who can rejuvenate his blood so he can be a pure diclonius again."

Horace scowled. "The bastard…he's tampering with forces beyond his control! He could doom us all!"

"That's what I told him," Suko answered when he caught me. "By seeing what I did in those files, he condemned me to become part of Lazarus. How I ended up here I don't know."

"Our spies retrieved you at great risk," Horace stated. "We now have one less pair of eyes inside the Institute. But enough about that. What about the King? What did he want from you?"

"He said he could help me get revenge on the Director if I helped free him so he could look for Lucy," she murmured. "He's obsessed with finding her. Anyway, I agreed to help him and he gave me the key code and password to the Lazarus program. That's how I was able to get into that program. I made a copy of everything. However, they caught me. The Director somehow knows about everything that goes on inside the facility. After he hit me, I don't remember much except that I saw he had the disk."

"Is that a fact?" he asked.

Suko nodded. "Yea…now things have gone terribly wrong. I never trusted this King. I felt he just wanted to use me like everyone else. Yet he did come through on his end of the deal with the key code and password. Now, I'm here and can't fulfill my end of the bargain. I'm sure he thinks I betrayed him. He'll come looking for me when he gets out and kill me. He's just that resourceful. He had some special thing for the diclonius we called number Sixty-six. Sixty-six was the one I was supposed to free." She sighed and coughed. "I'm really tired."

"You've said enough, Miss Arakawa," he ordered. "Just rest for now. I'll relay what you've said to the captain." She smiled and nodded. "And don't you worry about the King," Horace stated. "We're going to deal with him shortly so you won't have to worry about that." He patted her on the head, adding, "I'll have a nurse find you some dry clothes." With that, he walked out of the infirmary.

Suko again sighed, becoming very sleepy. _What the hell is going on? _she thought as sleep pounced on her.

* * *

Far to the north in Hokkaido, two Russians…a man and a woman stepped off a small ship at Otaru. The man wore a baseball cap and the woman wore a headscarf tying back her long brown hair. They looked at each other for a few moments as the people milled around them. "It's such a pain to blend in with these humans," the woman murmured. "I hate it. Why don't we just kill them like the pests they are, Dimitri?"

"Patience, Tanya," the man cooed icily. "The time for that will come. Until then, we must keep a low profile and not draw any undue attention to ourselves. The government here is hunting our kind so we must be careful. Lucy is here somewhere. We must not reveal ourselves before we can find her. After we find and kill her, then we can purge these filthy humans."

"If you say so," Tanya grumbled. "Let's get away from these pests before I do something stupid."

"Right," Dimitri replied, leading Tanya through the crowd.

* * *

As Tanya and Dimitri made their way into Otaru, a Chinese couple stepped out of the airport terminal at Osaka International Airport. A headband emblazoned with a red dragon sat on the brow of the man. His black hair draped to his shoulders. The woman donned a similar headband. Her amber hair reached to her waist, tied in a braided ponytail. "I hate flying," the woman replied as they walked up to a taxi. "…and I hate these contact lenses. They're irritating the piss out of my eyes."

The man looked at her, saying, "I know. Just stop your complaining, Ling. This was the fastest way to get here and contacts allow us to blend in. We must find Lucy before anyone else." He opened the taxi door, motioning for her to get in. She climbed in and he followed.

"Where to?" the taxi driver asked.

"Byodoin Temple," the man ordered, retrieving his wallet. He pulled out three hundred dollars and showed it to the driver. "This is yours if you take us where we want to go and don't ask any questions."

The driver looked at the cash with wide eyes. "You got it! Byodoin it is." He snatched the cash with a wide smile as the Chinese man settled back in his seat. The taxi took off.

"You're not going to let him keep that, are you, Chen?" Ling whispered.

Chen smiled. "Not a chance," he murmured in her ear. "When we get to the temple, I'll deal with him myself…no witnesses."

She nodded, chuckling softly.

* * *

Lucy, Kohta, and Aiko sat in the back of a van, watching over Yuka when a violent chill raced down Lucy's spine. Her face fell as she abruptly looked to the front, seeing Doug driving and Jin riding shotgun. "What's wrong?" Kohta asked her when Jin turned to her.

"I don't know," she replied. "Something's happening. I'm feeling something I've never felt before. I think there are diclonius on the move I've never felt before. They're coming…coming to kill me. I know it."

"I'm not going to let that happen," Kohta declared.

"I don't think you can stop it," she whispered, trembling from the chills. Kohta put his arm around her.

A growl escaped Jin's lips as he looked around urgently. "I think you're right, Lucy. I'm sensing an inordinate number of diclonius moving. Some of them aren't from this country either. The Fury has them. But this is why we're here…to protect you. They'll have to take me out before they can get you. I promise you."

"So you say," Lucy hissed. "We shall see. How much farther is it to this so-called safe haven of yours?"

"Not far…about an hour," he replied. "Until then, try to relax. Hey, here's an idea. Did you know you can communicate telepathically with Kohta?"

Lucy's eyes widened. A sarcastic grin crept across her face a moment later as she crowed, "Yea…right and I can fly like a bird too."

Jin looked directly into her eyes. "If you want to, Lucy…you're the Queen. But seriously, you can connect with him, mind to mind. Would you like to know how?"

"Okay, I'll bite," Lucy replied as Aiko smiled, checking Yuka's condition.

"It's very simple," Jin stated. "You already know how. From what I heard, you did it with Myra when she first came to your assistance."

Lucy's face wrinkled with puzzlement. "What are you saying?"

"Your vectors allow you make telepathic contact, Lucy," Jin stated. "You instinctively used your vectors to find out whether you could trust Myra. You can do the same with Kohta. However, when you do so, you must not touch his pineal gland. Otherwise, you'll infect him with the diclonius virus. Also, don't resonate your vector or you could kill him. Why not give it a shot. Are you game, Kohta?"

"Only if Lucy feels comfortable doing it," he replied.

"I…I don't know," she whispered. "I don't feel like I have control enough of my vectors. Plus, there's my dark half who wants to kill Kohta. I don't want to give her any opportunities to hurt him."

"I understand," Jin said. "You're still uncertain of yourself and your abilities. You don't have to. But with your permission, I will show you how by connecting with you. How about it?"

"No," she returned. "I still don't trust you."

"Fair enough," he replied. "I still have to earn your trust and respect. It's okay. When you're ready, I shall teach you."

"Lucy, you can trust him," Aiko called out. "I trust him with my life."

Lucy suddenly paled. Within seconds, intense nausea formed in her belly. She covered her mouth as she heaved. "Lucy, what's the matter?" Kohta asked. "Are you all right?"

"What's that stench?" she moaned with a gurgle. "Don't you smell it? It smells like rotting bodies!"

"I don't smell anything," Kohta answered.

"Neither do I," Aiko stated.

Jin's face fell as a peculiar odor faintly touched his nostrils. "I do, Lucy. What are you seeing?"

"What do you mean?" she asked as she clenched her belly.

"Close your eyes and tell me what you see," he ordered. "I suspect you're experiencing a vision of some kind."

After closing her eyes, Lucy moaned. "I see a pair of red eyes and a mountain of rotting bodies, both human and diclonius. This is too much!" Her eyes snapped open and she leaned away from Kohta and Yuka, feeling the vomit rising in her throat. Aiko quickly grabbed a small trashcan and placed it before Lucy as she spewed blood, water, and excess stomach acid.

Jin abruptly sensed the King. "Shit…it's the King! I knew it! He's trying to poison her with his vision!"

"What?" Kohta and Aiko asked in unison.

"I have to seal the van," Jin growled. In less than a second, he cocooned the van with his vectors. "I've cut him off with my vectors. However, I won't be able to hold it for long. Lucy…are you all right?"

Lucy looked up from the trashcan, her eyes weak and blood dripping from her mouth. "I think so. What the hell was that?"

"The King is stronger than I anticipated," Jin answered coolly. "He must be using the Collective to strike at Lucy to weaken her."

"I thought you said Lucy was the only one who could do that!" Kohta snapped, putting his arms around her again. "How is this King able to use the Collective?"

"I don't know," Jin returned. "Something has happened, shifting the balance in favor of the Fury. I'm going to have to investigate this."

"So the shit gets even deeper," Kohta hissed, holding on to Lucy and gently rocking her as she laid her head on his shoulder. "You'd better find out what's happening here and quick."

"I intend to," Jin answered.

* * *

Sixty-six cracked a wicked smile. "So you think you're going to find out what's going on and stop the inevitable, Jin Ryu Osabi? I think not. This is just the beginning. I will merge with Lucy and control the Collective." His smile sank as he sensed five very powerful diclonius signatures enter his sphere of influence. A sinister growl rose from him. "Hmmm…seems the game is afoot. There are five more players on the board vying for the Queen. Maybe I can use these intruders to my advantage to counter Jin's activities. When I'm done with them, all of them will rue coming to Japan and interfering with my plan."

* * *

A solitary soldier stepped off a small American military transport at Kagoshima airport on the southern end of Kyushu. A helmet and dark visor covered the soldier's head and facial features. A flight suit with an American flag on the sleeve covered the soldier from shoulder to feet, with combat boots finishing the uniform. Toting a large duffel, the soldier waved to the plane and walked off the tarmac without a word, disappearing into the terminal. Taking a left turn after entering the terminal, the soldier moved unnoticed into a secure area. A couple minutes later, the soldier entered a darkened room, closing the door and locking it. Light from a window on the far wall dimly lit the room, casting deep shadows. Once inside the room, the soldier removed the helmet, revealing a middle-aged diclonius woman of approximately thirty years. Her long pink hair cascaded halfway down her back. Two prominent horns stuck out either side of her head. Her tanned face was pretty, but tough and leathery with a gray stripe tattooed vertically from her right eyebrow down over the eye, terminating in a point two inches below her eye. Several scars decorated her face, her maroon eyes deep and penetrating.

"You're late," an angry voice called from the shadows.

The woman turned to the voice, seeing a man with short red hair and beard, wearing combat fatigues stepping into the light with a helmet in his hand. He glared at her. "You were supposed be here an hour ago. Lucy is already on the move again. We haven't much time."

"Oh shut up, Terrance," the woman snapped. "The weather delayed me. I came as fast as I could. So what's the mission?"

"Intercept and kill Lucy, of course," Terrance replied coldly.

The woman scowled. "Are you sure that is necessary?"

Terrance walked up and stared into her eyes. "Absolutely…the orders came directly from the top…eliminate Lucy and everything associated with her. She is to be erased. I want you to be ready to go in five minutes, Charlie."

"Yes sir," she hissed as he walked away. Before he went five paces, she said, "Sir…I sorry about this, but there's been a change of plan."

Before he could turn, his eyes grew wide and a gasp escaped his lips. In less than a second, he dropped dead with blood oozing from his ears, nose, and mouth.

"Stupid shit," Charlie hissed. "No one kills Lucy before she can decide our fates. Now it's time to get to work." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled a small transmitter, placing it in her ear. "Chimera, this is Nemesis. Phase One complete…awaiting instructions."

"Good work, Nemesis," a voice echoed in her ear. "Proceed to Phase Two…locate the Valkyrie and put her under surveillance. Kill only if attacked and as a last resort. The Valkyrie must be secured. Contact us when you've established contact with the target."

"Yes sir," she replied.

"Good luck, Nemesis," the voice stated. "Chimera out."

Charlie pulled the transmitter from her ear, pocketing it. A smile crossed her lips as she picked up her duffel. "Now the real game begins," she crowed. Three vectors emerged from her back, cocooning around her. Within seconds, she faded away. The door suddenly opened by itself, and then drifted shut a moment later. A ghostly laugh echoed through the corridor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: The stage is set and the players are moving into position. Soon the curtain will rise and the play will begin in all its gory splendor. Sixty-six and the King have set their plans into motion. Yet they didn't anticipate the other player's involvement in their master plan. For those who hoped Suko would escape Sixty-six, I'm happy to say that she's out of his immediate control as well of that of Kakuzawa. The spies of ARGUS within the Institute saw to that. However, she is far from being out of danger. Does she have the real disk or just another red herring? We shall see. Also, the kings and queens from Russian and China…watch them closely. How will they deal with the competition for Lucy's power? And what about Charlie? Who is she really and what's her motivation here. What is Chimera and it's story? What do they want with Lucy? And how will Lucy and her friends deal with what's coming? Keep reading to find out. As always, reviews are welcome. When reviewing, be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	10. Chapter 10 Escalation

Chapter 10

Escalation

Fifty miles off the southeastern coast of Japan, a large submarine sat motionless at a depth of two hundred feet. Sitting in the captain's chair, an elderly gentleman with short pink hair, two cat-ear horns, wearing a military uniform looked into a large viewscreen displaying the coastline of Kyushu. An emblazoned symbol of a sunburst held in a claw decorated his shoulder. "Has there been any contact from Nemesis since going to Phase two, Chris?" he asked the first mate.

"No sir, Captain Fargo," the first mate, Chris, answered. "But it's still early."

"How long has it been?" Fargo asked.

"A couple of hours since she checked in," Chris replied.

"Sir! There's a spike in activity!" a sailor with red hair and horns called out from his station. "Diclonius all over Japan are starting to move!"

"Let's see it, Ron," Fargo ordered. "Put it on the viewer." The sailor pushed a button, transferring his information to the captain's viewer. He then approached with a salute. A map of Japan lit up the screen with hundreds of dots all over the country slowly moving in one direction…toward Kamakura. A scowl crossed the captain's face.

"Sir, these diclonius have suddenly started moving in unison," Ron reported. "I believe they may be after the Valkyrie. What do we do?"

The diclonius captain growled, sensing the movement of masses of diclonius in Japan. "Something's happening we didn't anticipate. Something's drawing them toward Kamakura." An ominous presence suddenly overshadowed him. "Damn…check the global scanners, Ron, and see if there's movement like this worldwide."

"Yes sir," Ron replied, returning to his station. He quickly made a search with the satellite uplink and his face turned ashened. "Sir…I think you'd better see this." Again, he transferred the image the captain's screen and the captain's face fell.

"Dear God!" Chris breathed as they saw thousands of blips on land, sea, and in the air creeping toward Japan from all over the world.

"Captain," the communication's officer called out, walking urgently over to the captain.

"What is it, James?" Fargo replied.

"We have a problem," James declared.

"Tell me something I don't know," the captain snapped.

"Well, there's been a problem at headquarters," James stated.

"Go on," the captain replied.

"Two minutes ago, we received a garbled coded message that was cut off in mid-transmission," James stated grimly. "Just before the transmission was terminated, I heard gunfire on the other end. Sir, something bad has happened at headquarters."

Fargo sighed grimly, watching the red dots on the map slowly moving toward Kamakura. Abruptly rising, he ordered, "Let me hear the message, James." James led the captain, first mate, and Ron to his station.

James sat down at his station, pushed a button, and the message played. He adjusted the volume so only those around him could hear it.

"Chimera…this is SHIVA… (static)…Code Hades… (static)…mission compromised…coup in...(static)…Enact final… (static)…protect Valkyrie…" Machine gun fire echoed in the background, followed by shrieks, and then dead air.

"This is bad, isn't it, Captain?" Chris commented.

"Yes…it is, Chris," Fargo replied. "With a Code Hades warning, it can only mean that SHIVA itself has been compromised from within. I was afraid of this. I knew Charlie's contact at the airport was one of those inside SHIVA who wanted the eradication of the diclonius. It means they have taken control of the organization."

"What're we going to do, captain?" Ron asked.

"We complete our mission," Fargo declared. "We secure and protect the Valkyrie until she can determine our fates."

"But how can we do that if SHIVA has turned against the Queen?" Chris asked.

"We have enough information in that communiqué to secure our orders," Fargo said. "With Code Hades in effect and the order to enact final protocol to protect the Valkyrie, our orders are clear. We shall go off the grid. Chris, summon the security chief and the officers to the bridge."

"Yes sir," Chris barked with a salute. He quickly set out on his mission.

"Ron, try to find a way to mask our presence from the satellites without loosing our connection to them," the captain ordered.

"Yes sir," Ron stated, returning to his station.

"James, get Charlie on a secure frequency. We must warn her of what's

happening," Fargo stated urgently.

"I'm on it, captain," James replied, getting to work.

"I hope we can get through. I wonder if ARGUS is having the same kind of problems we are," Fargo murmured under his breath as he walked to the captain's chair. Sitting down in it, he watched the screen of dots converging on Japan from all over the world.

A couple minutes later, Chris returned with the security chief and half dozen officers. "What's the problem, chief?" the security chief asked.

"Phillip…ladies and gentlemen, we have a dilemma," Fargo replied. "A Code Hades warning was issued with the order to enact final protocol." Then to the sailors on the bridge, he barked, "Clear the bridge!"

"Aye sir," the sailors replied in unison, leaving the room.

Once the bridge was cleared of everyone except the officers, Fargo asked, "Is the bridge secure, Phillip?"

"Yes sir," the security chief replied, locking the door.

"Are you sure it was Code Hades, Captain?" a diclonius woman with long maroon hair asked.

"Yes, Sarah…I'm afraid so," Fargo stated grimly. "James…replay the message for everyone. I want everyone to hear this to confirm my conclusions."

"Aye sir," James replied, replaying the message from headquarters. They listened with grim faces.

For a few moments, everyone remained silent. Then a human woman from Norway with dark brown hair and eyes stated, "Has the message been verified?"

"Yes ma'am," James replied. "All the codes and encryption were legitimate. I checked it myself several times before bringing it to the captain's attention."

"Let me see," she ordered and James let her sit at his station. "Mina, come and confirm my findings." A Japanese woman with short black hair and hazel eyes walked up and watched as the woman scanned the message and its encryption.

"Well, Elle…what does the intelligence service think?" Fargo asked.

Elle looked at Mina after finishing the scan of the message and she nodded. "It's legitimate, captain," Elle reported.

"I agree with the lieutenant's finding," Mina stated. "This is a legitimate message and sounds more like a distress call than anything else. Something bad has definitely happened at headquarters."

"Just as I thought," Fargo stated. "James…continue to try to reach Charlie."

"Yes sir," James stated, going back to his work.

"Sir…what exactly does Code Hades mean?" a diclonius male with short bronze hair asked.

"Elle…would you care to inform us what Code Hades means?" Fargo asked.

"Code Hades is the worst message we could receive," Elle reported. "It means that headquarters has fallen to a hostile force from within and that we are to act autonomously from now on free from the chain of command. Everyone here knows about the growing divisions within SHIVA about how to deal with the diclonius, particularly the one codenamed Valkyrie. Code Hades means that headquarters is now under the control of people who believe the diclonius race should be exterminated. Add into the mix the order to enact the final protocol to protect the Valkyrie and our orders are clear. We are to find and secure the Valkyrie at all cost, protecting her from everyone, especially SHIVA."

"So how are we going to do that?" the weapons officer asked.

"We go off the grid and take the initiative," Fargo stated. "We have little time before this powder keg explodes. Take a look at this monitor." He pointed to his display showing the blinking lights creeping toward Japan from all over the world. "We have to grab her and her consorts before they can get to her. She must have time to decide our fates."

The eyes of the officers grew wide and the chief engineer breathed, "My god…what's happening here? Why are they all moving toward Kamakura? Isn't the Valkyrie on the move away from that area?"

"Yes…from our latest intelligence reports, that's true," Fargo stated. "We suspect that an agent of ARGUS has made contact with her and is protecting her. However, the critical question is why all these diclonius are heading toward Kamakura. The only thing there is Kakuzawa's Institute, housing some of the most dangerous of our kind. He's playing a very dangerous game here. The latest briefing from our people within the Institute stated that Kakuzawa has awakened a very dangerous diclonius they call number Sixty-six to assist in capturing the Valkyrie. SHIVA Intelligence seems to believe this man may be the King of Japan. This happened almost a week ago. Since then, I've sensed a major disturbance in the Collective. Something of great power is throwing the balance in favor of the Fury, causing its strength to grow exponentially. This may account for the spike in diclonius behavior we're seeing. Everyone be very careful, especially those of us who are diclonius. Do not let the Fury burn for it will be our downfall if it does."

"You believe someone is manipulating the Fury in the Collective, don't you, Captain," Chris suggested.

"I do," Fargo replied. "The King of Japan is involved in this somehow. Yet I can't tell if he's doing the manipulating or whether the Fury itself is causing this. In any event, he's neck-deep in this. If we find him, he must be eliminated. His activities are endangering the entire planet."

"Captain…what about ARGUS and their agent you suspect is helping the Valkyrie?" a diclonius woman with long pink hair tied in a ponytail asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "We know they are after the Valkyrie too. Whether they're having the same trouble we are is beyond my knowledge for now. As for the suspected agent, we shall just have to wait and see. Up until this point, the Valkyrie has not strayed from the greater Kamakura area. However, according to the most recent intel, she is heading south…a marked change in her behavior pattern. It also stated that she and her friends were rescued by a powerful diclonius when their home burned in an attack by a rogue soldier. The point is we don't have enough information. That's why Charlie was sent in…to gather intelligence. Also, I'm sure the Kraken is prowling these waters too. We must find out what's going on and, if necessary, be ready to do whatever is necessary to protect the Valkyrie and our mission. Elle, Mina…I want both of you on this. Find out what's going. Locating the Kraken should be top priority as well. Its ARGUS field flagship."

"Yes sir," Elle and Mina chimed in unison. "Sir, we should also take a serious look at disabling the chips implanted in us. We don't want SHIVA or ARGUS to find us because of that or activate the special features in it to sabotage our mission," Elle pointed out.

"Your absolutely right," Fargo agreed. "Coordinate with Phillip, Ron, and Quang in the infirmary to do this. That has absolute top priority. Remove the chips, if possible. Otherwise, disable them so they can't be tracked."

"Yes sir," Elle, Phillip, Ron, and Quang replied simultaneously.

"So…are we all in agreement on how to proceed?" Fargo asked.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say to hell with SHIVA, ARGUS, and the rest of the world," Phillip stated. "They have turned against the Valkyrie and us so we should do likewise. Let's do this and save the Queen. She must have the opportunity to decide our fates."

"I agree," the chief engineer chimed. "Let's do this." A round of agreements rose from the officers.

Fargo smiled grimly. "So be it…from this point forward, we are on our own. SHIVA is to be considered an enemy. I want extra security on the ship's sensitive areas. If anyone acts suspiciously or the Fury takes them, do whatever is necessary to secure the ship and this mission. That order includes me. The mission is all that matters now. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir!" the officers barked in unison with a smart salute.

"Sir…I have established contact with Charlie in Kyushu," James called out.

"Put her on," Fargo ordered.

James flipped the switch and said, "Go ahead, sir…the line is open."

"Nemesis…this is Chimera. Do you read?" Fargo said.

"Yes, Chimera…I read you," Charlie's voice replied through the speaker. "You caught me at a bad time. This better be important."

"It is, Nemesis," Fargo stated. "We're now operating under Code Hades and the order for Final Protocol has been issued. Don't trust anyone you meet. To make sure I sent them, say to them 'The sun is bright in the west.' If they answer, 'But the storm is approaching from the east,' then they'll be one of our people. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Chimera…I've sensed the disturbance," Charlie replied. "Someone has tampered with the Collective. The Fury is growing as I speak. But never fear...I'll accomplish my mission."

"Do whatever is necessary," Fargo stated. "We're officially off the grid now. Watch your back and be ready. You should destroy your chip so you can't be tracked."

"It's already taken care of," Charlie replied.

"Good," Fargo said. "We will rendezvous in sector seven in three days...and Nemesis…be very careful. Diclonius all over Japan are on the move toward Kamakura."

"Right…Nemesis out," Charlie answered with the line going dead afterwards.

Turning to the officers, Fargo stated, "We all know what to do, so let's get started."

"Aye sir," they replied, dispersing back to their stations. The sailors sent out before the meeting returned to their posts on the bridge as Fargo picked up the microphone.

"James…open the intercom," he ordered.

James flipped a switch, saying, "You're live, sir."

Fargo cleared his throat. "This is the captain," Fargo annouced. His voice echoed throughout the ship. "Sailors of the Chimera…the unthinkable has occurred. SHIVA has been compromised. As of 18:47 hours, a Code Hades order for Final Protocol has been initiated. We shall continue on our mission to secure the Valkyrie off the grid. All hands are to have their implants disabled and/or destroyed so we can't be tracked. Security Chief Phillip Zubiar, Intelligence chief Elle Eldrich, and Doctor Quang Le will supervise everyone's implants being disabled. When the security chief calls your section, head to the infirmary where your implants will be deactivated. Anyone who resists will be taken by force. No implants will be allowed to function on this ship. Headquarters has turned against the Valkyrie and us so we must turn against them. SHIVA and all other entities who want to terminate the Queen before she can determine our fates shall hunt us. We cannot allow them to succeed. We must act decisively and immediately. I have faith in you to do this. Now, all hands to battle stations." The klaxon went off and the crew scrambled to their posts.

One at a time, the sectors of the ship reported in…each with full enthusiasm and support for their mission. The alarm silenced after a couple of minutes. "Are we ready?" Fargo asked Chris.

"Yes sir, captain," he replied. "All posts are manned and ready to go. The crew and officers are behind you one hundred percent…just awaiting your order."

"Good," the captain replied with a sigh and a smile. "Helm, come about north-by northeast, heading three-two-five…depth one hundred forty meters. We're going to Tsukumi."

"Aye sir," the helmsman replied. Fargo cast a friendly smile at the human who steered his ship.

"Engage the Dragon drive and ahead full…we're going in silent," Fargo ordered.

"Yes sir," Chris answered, picking up the mike. "Engine room, release the dragon…all ahead full. All hands, we are running silent. Bridge out." Turning back to Fargo, he said, "Everything is go, sir."

"Mr. Hans…take us in," Fargo ordered the helmsman.

"Aye sir," Hans replied, pushing gently on the controls and the Chimera silently moved toward the coast of Kyushu.

* * *

Meanwhile, eight miles offshore of Kamakura, another large state-of-the-art submarine cruised at periscope depth. A burly man with silver hair, two horns, maroon eyes, wearing a captain's uniform peered through the periscope. On his shoulder sat a curious insignia resembling an open eye inside a shining circle sitting in front of two crossed katanas. "Helm…come about to heading two-one-eight, south-by-southeast…depth one hundred twenty meters. Navigation…set a course for Tsukumi," the man ordered.

"Aye sir," a diclonius woman with short pink hair sitting at the helm replied.

"Aye sir," a Japanese man answered at the navigator's station.

"Multiple sonar contacts, captain…heading three-zero-zero, twelve thousand meters and closing," a sailor manning the sonar station announced.

"How many, Allan?" the captain asked, spinning the periscope around to the announced heading.

"Seven, sir," the sailor replied. "…two heavy frigates, three destroyers, and two missile cruisers."

A scowl crossed the captain's face as he located the ships in his scope. "Damn…they look like Japanese Navy. ARGUS must have called on them to take us out." At that moment, a loud ping echoed through the sub.

"Sir, we've just been pinged," Allan called out. "Active sonar contact eleven thousand five hundred meters and closing. They are on definitive search and destroy, captain."

The captain pulled the scope down. "So I noticed…Miss Karosuma, take us down to the bottom. Our only chance is to hide. Engine room…engage the worm and full ahead. All hands…rig for silent running. Miss Karosuma…go!"

The diclonius woman at the helm replied, "Aye sir." She pushed forward on the helm and the ship sank into the inky depths of the ocean, running silent as a ghost.

"Sir…may I have a word?" the first mate whispered in the captain's ear. He nodded. "Are you sure about this? If ARGUS discovers what we're doing, we'll be executed."

The captain glared at the first mate's green eyes. "Jericho, I understand your concern," he whispered. "But you heard the order and saw the map. ARGUS can no longer be trusted. Kakuzawa has spies inside the organization who have revealed the location of the Queen. We're no longer to consider ARGUS a friendly entity. This intelligence came directly from the intelligence chief, Saito Murata. There is a power play going on inside of ARGUS as we speak. He also informed me that SHIVA has turned against the Queen as well. The military has been mobilized to counter the sudden spike in diclonius activity and us. It seems to me that whoever pulls off the greatest grandstand play will win all the marbles here and dictate the future of both our kinds. If they manage to kill the queen, we're doomed. We must get to her immediately. We may be her only hope. I just hope Jin can keep her safe until then."

"Sir…the fleet is ten thousand meters and closing," the sonar officer quietly announced.

"Weapons…launch the decoy, heading zero-three-zero, north-by-northeast," the captain ordered.

The ship shuddered slightly and the weapons officer said, "Decoy away."

"All stop, Miss Karosuma," the captain ordered. "What's our depth?"

"One-nine-five meters, captain," the dive officer stated. "We're approximately five meters off the bottom."

"Ease us down to the bottom, Miss Karosuma…easy," the captain ordered as the sub drifted down.

"Three meters," the dive officer announced. "Two meters..."

Adjust pitch up half a degree," the captain ordered. "Lower the skids."

"Skids lowered, captain," Jericho called out.

Karosuma pulled back on the helm. "One meter…half a meter," the dive officer counted. Moments later the sub lurched to a stop with a loud groan.

"All stop, captain," Karosuma announced with a sigh, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"Engage the sonar shield. Sonar…watch them carefully," he murmured. Picking up the microphone, he announced, "All hands…we're going silent…captain out."

"Sonar shield activated," the weapons officer reported.

Walking over to Karosuma, Fargo patted her on the shoulder and smiled with a nod. She returned the smile, grabbing his hand briefly.

The sonar officer quietly announced the distances, with each reading closer than the last. Twelve minutes into his count, he whispered, "They're changing course, sir. The decoy appears to be working…three thousand meters and opening." The captain and first mate looked at each other with a sigh of relief.

"Let me know when they are out of range," the captain ordered.

"Aye sir," the sonar officer replied softly.

Turning back to the first mate, he hissed softly, "Don't ever question me in front of the crew like that again. Next time, I'll lock you in the brig for mutiny."

"Sir, I had no idea the message came from the intelligence chief of ARGUS. Forgive my ignorance…all I want to do is make sure this mission is completed successfully," Jericho whispered.

The captain smiled coolly at him. "I suppose I can let it go this time. You have to remember we're trying to stop a war from erupting between your kind and mine. Only the Queen can answer that question and it's our job to see that she lives long enough to do so."

"I understand, sir," the first mate murmured. "I won't question you again like that in front of the crew."

"Good," the captain said softly. He noticed how nervous Jericho looked and added, "Relax…you did a good job. Just remember your protocol and you'll be fine."

Ten minutes later, the sonar officer announced, "The fleet is out of range, sir."

"Very good…Miss Karosuma, excellent job setting us down on the bottom," Fargo praised.

"Thank you, sir," she replied, running her hand through her hair.

"Now, if you please, Miss Karosuma, take us to Tsukumi…all ahead full," the captain ordered.

"Yes sir," Karosuma replied, pulling up on the helm. The Kraken lifted off the bottom and slipped away without a sound, heading for Kyushu.

* * *

At the Institute, Security Chief Ezra Makoto lay in a heap on the lab floor, bleeding profusely from numerous gashes to his face and bare torso. He looked up through the blood in his eyes, seeing Kakuzawa's face twisted in rage. "You made a fatal error in going against me, Ezra," Kakuzawa snarled.

"You'll not get away with this, Kakuzawa," Ezra countered defiantly, spitting blood.

"You can't stop the inevitable, Ezra. You can't stop evolution," Kakuzawa hissed, kicking him viciously in the head, sending blood splattering from the hit. Ezra rolled from the hit, barely conscious. Blood oozed from mouth. "Put him in the machine," Kakuzawa ordered. The guards picked up Ezra, dragging him to a large metal table with straps sitting on a pedestal. They quickly strapped him down while Kakuzawa walked up. Ezra stared, glass-eyed at Kakuzawa as he stated, "This machine is for harvesting body parts. Your parts will be invaluable to my research, even though you are human. I will take your internal organs and use them however I wish and your flesh and bone will be reduced to a protein mix to be fed intravenously to our diclonius subjects. There will be nothing left for anyone to find. Too bad you turned against me. You were a good security chief. However, like Miss Arakawa, you failed to realize that I know everything that happens here. The moment I saw the disk you gave me, I realized you were not with me. Now you will pay for your betrayal."

"Go ahead…kill me, monster," Ezra whispered. "By killing me, you seal your fate."

Kakuzawa's face turned beet red and he hammered Ezra on the forehead with his clenched fist, knocking him senseless. "It is you whose fate is sealed. Clear the room!" The guards retreated from the room, leaving Kakuzawa standing there alone. He backed away several steps, snarling, "Give my regards to oblivion…Activate the machine!"

The table hummed for a moment. Suddenly, robotic attachments appeared from the table base and proceeded to efficiently dismember Ezra, salvaging his vital organs. Blood sprayed from the table, splattering on Kakuzawa's face as he watched with icy satisfaction. Ezra's gurgling scream echoed through the lab and was cut brutally short when the robotic apparatus removed his heart, lungs, and brain simultaneously. Kakuzawa wiped the blood from his face and turned, walking away. "Now to find who is still loyal," he hissed. "I will not have my plans subverted by anyone…not when I'm this close."

* * *

Sixty-Six chuckled grimly as he sensed Ezra's execution. "The half-breed is as ruthless as I am. However, he isn't half as smart as I am. All I have to do is spur his Fury and he'll do whatever I ask…to his own destruction. Soon, very soon, I shall be free and Lucy will be mine."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Kakuzawa's office, the disk with the animation of Kakuzawa's dismemberment continued to download into the Institute's computer system. The whole computer system abruptly fluctuated for a millisecond when the download completed. Deep in the Institute's unmanned computer core, the download completed message from the disk flashed on the monitor. A small counter also appeared with the message, reading 96:00:00. Instantly, the counter started counting down by the second. Half a second later, it disappeared, followed by the download complete message with the core monitor returning to its default setting with no one seeing it.

* * *

Kohta awoke with a jerk, finding Lucy leaning against him, asleep. He looked around, seeing Aiko checking over Yuka, Jin sipping on a bottle of water while Doug drove the van. The sun had set and the full moon was peeking over the mountains outside the van's windshield. A groan escaped his lips. Jin heard it and reached into a cooler, procuring a bottle of water. "Here," he said, handing the closed bottle to Kohta. "You should drink something. You've been out a couple of hours."

Kohta accepted the bottle, opening it. After taking a swallow, he asked, "What happened?"

"You fell asleep shortly after Lucy did," Jin stated. "It's good that you did. You needed it with those wounds."

"Where are we?" Kohta asked after draining half the bottle.

"We're coming up on Byodoin Temple just outside of Uji," Jin replied.

"Wait a minute…I thought you said we're going to Aso," Kohta blurted out. "We're still several hours away from Aso. Why did you tell us it was only an hour to your safe house when we weren't? What exactly are you up to?"

"My original plan failed," Jin countered. "I had planned to fly us to Aso. When I told you that, we were an hour away from the airfield at Ena. However, after you fell asleep, I received word from my friends in ARGUS that Ena was a no-go. The military got wind of where we were going and set up an ambush. Therefore, I changed the plan. I have a friend who owes me a favor. We're going to meet her at Byodoin, and then we're going to Aso."

"A likely story," Kohta growled. "How do we know that your friends weren't just feeding you a bunch of shit knowing that you'd do exactly what you're doing now?"

Jin's face soured. "You still don't trust me."

"No duh," Kohta sneered.

"Yet you're here," Jin retorted.

"Not by choice I might point out," Kohta stated icily. "All I know is we're being hunted by the whole damned world because of something Lucy may or may not do. That's just plain nuts."

Jin sighed, realizing Kohta was merely venting. "Do you really want to know what I'm doing?"

"I'm all ears," Kohta chimed.

"To be honest, I'm taking you to a secluded safe house near Aso to help Lucy heal herself," Jin stated. "I'd planned all along to do that. However, events have accelerated and I had to move ahead of schedule. I am just as suspicious of the info from ARGUS as you are. That's why I have contacted my friend and asked her to meet us at Byodoin. She's not part of ARGUS or any of the groups who're causing this problem." He paused for a moment. "Her name is Kagami Nariko. Long ago, when I was just a little younger than you are now, I was like Lucy. I was hated and spurned by humans because of what I was. I despised and killed them whenever the opportunity arose, but only in self-defense. I never liked the bloodshed. I'd go out of my way to keep a low profile. Yet somehow, they always found out what I was and I would be forced to kill. It seemed that was the only way I could survive…by killing those who persecuted me. The Fury burned within me uncontrollably. You have no idea what it feels like…the icy hate, the emptiness, and sorrow of being cast away because you're not like everyone else. Monster and freak they called me, saying this world wasn't meant for people like me. And like a fool, I believed them, allowing it to poison my mind and soul, fueling the Fury brought on by my powers and a lifetime of being abused and mistreated. Yes…I was just like Lucy.

"Then, like Lucy, I encountered a someone who didn't recoil in disgust and horror at what I was. It was Kagami. I remember it well. I had just fled Beppu and taken refuge at the Stone Buddhas when she walked into my life." Jin paused, taking a sip of water from his bottle, and then continued with his remembrance, describing the incident in detail.

A teenage Jin stumbled into the Shrine of the Stone Buddhas in the middle of the night, trying to escape the icy rain pouring from the dark sky. He trembled from being drenched, chilled to the bone. He wiped his face and nose with his hand while looking around, seeing the shrine vacant. A relieved sigh escaped his lips. Trudging to the far right side of the line of Buddhas, he collapsed against the pedestal and rock wall. Leaning against it, he curled into a fetal position, shaking uncontrollably from the chill wracking his body. _This is it. I'm going to die right here and no one will care,_ he thought as intense fatigue, hunger, and cold pressed on him, making him drowsy. His eyes drooped and he slipped into a fitful sleep. Some time after falling asleep, voices started echoing dimly in his ears.

"Father…there's someone over here," a female voice announced.

"See if he's alive. No one should be out on a night like this," a deep voice ordered.

"Father…he's a diclonius," the female voice added, a slight tremor in her voice.

"Makes no difference, Kagami," the deep voice stated. "He's still someone in need of our help. It's our responsibility to help him. Now see if he's still alive."

"Yes, he is," the female voice replied.

"Wake him gently…don't startle him," the deep voice ordered.

Jin felt someone shake him gently. "Sir…sir, wake up," the female voice murmured in his ear.

Jin coughed and snapped awake. He looked up, seeing a beautiful young woman with long black hair and green eyes dressed in a wet raincoat and black skirt. A relieved smile decorated her long oval face. He scrambled away from her and she jumped back. Holding her hands out in a peace gesture, she cooed, "Please don't be afraid, sir. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Get out of here before I kill you!" Jin snarled fearfully, seeing an elderly man in a raincoat with his hood up standing back a few feet behind the woman.

"I can't," the woman replied. "You'll die if you stay here. I'm here to help. Please, let me help you."

"Why would you want to help me?" Jin hissed, followed by a cough that brought up blood. He spit it out and glared weakly at the woman. "Don't you know I'm a monster?"

"You're no monster," she cooed, kneeling a few feet away in front of him. "You're just a lost soul who needs help. I don't care who or what you are, what you look like, what your capable of, or even what you've done to put you in this position. Please, let me show you the way out of the darkness that I can clearly see you're in. Not everyone condemns you for being the way you are. I don't and my father doesn't either. You're welcome to come with us to a warm, dry place where we will take care of you. I promise no harm will come to you, even though I know you are capable of killing me where I stand. Please…don't throw your life away and die here at the feet of the great Buddha. He cherishes all life as we do." She held out her hand.

"Son…please come with us," the elderly man stated calmly. "You're no longer alone." Jin looked into the old man's maroon eyes and bristled as his vectors emerged, ready to strike. The old man's eyes narrowed. "Please don't do that, son. Rein in your vectors. We mean you no harm." He dropped his hood, exposing his head. Even in the dim light, Jin could see two telltale protrusions sticking out of elderly man's head along with his snow-white hair.

"What do you want?" Jin demanded. "My life…because you'll have to take it!"

The old man smiled warmly at him. "Oh son, don't be that way. We're here to help you find your way. Why else would we be out here so late on a terrible night like this? Please, come with us and no harm will come to you."

"I think not," Jin growled. "I've heard that story too often before and every time, pain, anguish, and death awaits me at the end of the line. I'm not going through that again!" In an instant, his vectors shot forward.

Before they reached the woman, a single vector emerged from the old man, punching directly into Jin's pineal gland. Jin's eyes grew wide as his vectors evaporated. "There…now you won't hurt us," the old man said smoothly.

"What did you do to me?" Jin screamed, followed by a fit of coughing that brought up more blood.

"I merely disabled your vectors so you wouldn't kill us," the old man stated.

"Go on…kill me!" Jin sobbed, realizing he was defenseless.

"You still don't understand," the woman cooed. "We're not here to hurt you. We want to help you. You may not realize it, but my father and I have felt the same betrayals and sorrows you have. Please, you don't have to live like an animal. Come with us and live like a real person should. Please!"

"She's right, son," the old man said. "You don't have to live in fear any longer. I can teach you how to tame your Fury and master your powers. You're here for a great purpose. Now please, come with us. We will heal your body and your mind. If you stay here any longer, you'll die from exposure. The blood you're coughing up is a sure sigh of great medical distress. If you don't remedy it now, you will surely die and all those humans who see you as a monster will win. Do you want them to win?"

"Hell no!" Jin snapped. "I want to live. I want to have everything a regular person has."

"We can give it to you, son," the old man declared. "But only if you take the first step and come with us."

The woman walked slowly toward Jin on her knees with her hand out. "Please trust us," she cooed with a broad smile.

"What is your name?" Jin asked.

"Kagami," she stated. "…and I promise I will never betray you."

Jin grasped her hand and an eerie feeling shot up his arm and down his spine…a warm, tingling feeling. "See…I'm touching you and not hurting you," Kagami cooed. "Oh…you're chilled to the bone. Come, we have a hot bath and a warm bed waiting for you. Don't we, father?"

"That we do," the old man stated, walking up. He leaned down, taking Jin by the arm as Kagami pulled Jin's arm around her shoulder. She positioned herself to support Jin and stood up while her father pulled Jin up. He positioned himself opposite of Kagami, holding Jin's other arm while wrapping his arm around him. "Come on, son. Let's go home before someone sees us."

Jin allowed himself to be carried to a waiting car in the rain, marveling that someone actually wanted to help him. They sat him in the back seat, wrapped a blanket around him, and Kagami sat next to him, wrapping her arms around his shivering form. The old man sat in the driver's seat and the car sped away. As they drove away, Jin asked the old man, "What's your name?"

"My name is Akira Nariko, son," he replied. "What's your name, son?"

"I'm Jin," Jin replied, cuddling close to Kagami, appreciating the heat of her body and the first friendly contact he'd ever had with another person. "Where are you taking me?"

"We're going to my home at Aso," Akira stated. "I have a refuge from the world there where no one will bother us. There you can heal and learn the way of our kind…the true way."

"Are you like me?" Jin asked Kagami.

"Not exactly," she replied. "I'm only part diclonius. My mother is human."

"Diclonius…what's that?" Jin queried.

"It's what we are," Akira stated. "We're the next step of human evolution. Eventually, we'll become the dominant species. That is if we can control our destructive impulses long enough to mature as a species. There is much for you to learn, young Jin. But don't worry about that right now. Just know that you are safe with us."

"You see," Jin stated as he finished account. "Kagami and Akira saved my life and set my feet upon the path of knowledge, which has brought me to this point in my life. That's why I trust them. If they hadn't found me that night, I would've been dead by that morning. I had a severe case of pneumonia when they found me. It took me two months to get over it."

"So that's why you want to take us to Aso," Kohta murmured. "It's where you found your way."

"Exactly," Jin stated. "Akira's refuge at Aso is a well-kept secret. Only a handful of people know of its existence. It's a place of healing, meditation, and life. The place emanates it. Until I went there, all I knew was death and destruction…the Fury. However, once I got there, my life changed in ways I never imagined for the better."

"That's a nice story," Lucy whispered, looking up weakly. "Are you sure it's real and not a figment of your imagination?"

"You're awake!" Kohta chimed with delight. "How much did you hear?"

"Most of it," she murmured.

Jin opened the cooler, procured a bottle of water, and handed it to Kohta. "Here, give Lucy something to drink. She needs it." Kohta took the bottle, opened it, and handed it to Lucy. "To answer your question, milady…no, it's not a figment. It's real and you will see it soon enough."

"Why aren't we there already?" she asked. Kohta helped her hold the bottle as she sipped from it.

"A fly in the ointment, Lucy," Jin said. "I had to abandon my original plan on getting there. I had to call in a favor from Kagami. We're going to meet her now. She will find a way to get us to Aso."

"The same Kagami you talked about in your story?" Lucy asked.

"The same," he replied. Turning to Doug, he asked, "How much farther to Byodoin?"

"Five minutes, Boss," Doug replied. Just then, he frowned. "Boss…do you feel that?"

Jin's head snapped around, looking out the front window. "I do…something isn't right. I'm sensing two powerful presences and they're hostile."

Lucy's eyes darkened as a growl rose from her. She too sensed them. "So much for keeping us safe…You've walked us right into a trap!"

"Not necessarily," Jin stated. "I'm also sensing Kagami and a couple other diclonius who are with her. They're not with the hostile ones. We must be careful." He picked up a CB and spoke into it. "Hey guys…we've got trouble brewing ahead. We have some heavy hitters up ahead, so watch yourself and the girls."

"Roger," Shen replied through the speaker. "Are they disguised?"

"Very likely," Jin stated. "I suspect we may be facing a royal pair. The last time I felt something like this was in Prague. I'm sure they're after Lucy."

"Same game plan as Prague?" Shen asked.

"Yes…just be aware that Kagami has two diclonius friendlies with her, so pick your targets wisely," Jin ordered.

"Got it," Shen stated. "You copy that, Tian?"

"We copy…Prague it is," Tian's voice echoed through the speaker.

"Good…Jin out," Jin said, hanging up the CB. Turning back to Lucy, he said, "You let us handle this, milady. You should stay in the van until I come get you. Doug will stay with you until we've dealt with this pair of rogues."

"Don't tell me what to do," Lucy snapped.

"It's just a friendly suggestion," Jin replied. "It's the safest place for you and your friends."

"We're here," Doug announced, turning off the road into the parking lot for the Byodoin Temple.

"Park close to the road, Doug," Jin ordered.

"Right, Boss," he answered, pulling into an empty slot near the parking lot entrance. The other two vans in their convoy pulled up next to them.

"Stay here until I make sure it's safe. Aiko, how's the little lady?" Jin asked.

"Yuka's doing fine," Aiko stated. "Her condition is stable."

"Good…everyone keep an eye out," Jin ordered. "If things get out of hand, leave immediately. I'll catch up with you."

"Right," Doug and Aiko replied in unison.

With that, Jin slipped out of the van. A mixed group of four humans and three diclonius from the third van surrounded him. "We've two royal class rogues close by. I'm going to flush them out and you guys take them down."

"Yes sir," the group chimed. With that, they walked away, heading toward the Temple.


	11. Chapter 11 Skirmish at Byodoin

Chapter 11

Skirmish at Byodoin

Jin suddenly stopped ten meters from the vans, turning to his team. "What's wrong, sir?" one of the diclonius team members asked.

"I'm not sure," Jin replied as an icy sensation crept down his spine. "I'm sensing a bizarre disturbance in the Collective. The royal's signatures are fluctuating wildly. First, they're here, and then they aren't. I'm even having trouble sensing you guys." He looked around at the trees and parking lot intensely. "Guys…you'd better break out the hardware and set up a perimeter around the vans."

"Yes sir," the group barked.

As they approached the vans, Doug, Shen, and Tian walked up. "What's wrong?" Shen asked.

"A slight change in plans…put the girls in my van and set a perimeter around it," Jin ordered. "And arm yourselves heavily. There's something very wrong here. The Collective is fluctuating wildly here."

"So I'm not the only one sensing something strange," Doug stated. "I'm finding it difficult to sense other diclonius, even at close range. How about the rest of you?" The other diclonii in the team registered a similar complaint.

"So this is affecting everyone who is diclonius. This situation has become very dangerous." Jin declared icily. "In that case, give Myra and Kohta a weapon, too. We may need their help."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Shen asked.

Jin's face became stony with a malevolent gleam in his eye. "Do as I say, Shen. I'm not going to have anything interfere with this mission."

"Of course, Jin…just asking," Shen replied, taken back by the sudden change in Jin's temperament and holding his hands out in a peace gesture.

"Are you all right, sir?" Tian asked.

Jin slapped Tian with a vector, knocking him down. "Don't question me, monk."

Doug frowned, stepping nose to nose with Jin. "Jin…fight it. Your Fury is rising. Whatever is going on here is spurring your Fury. Try to control it." Jin growled, staring into Doug's eyes. "Please sir…remember the mission. We're not the enemy."

Jin's face faltered, softening a bit. "You're right. Forgive me for hitting you, Tian."

"It's all right," Tian answered while standing up. "Even I can sense something is very wrong here. What do you want us to do?"

"Just what I said," Jin answered calmly. "Put the girls in my van. It'll make it easier to defend them. Set a perimeter and watch. Kill anything hostile that approaches. We must protect Lucy at all costs. Cai and Ming will come with me to deal with the royals. Now everyone arm yourselves."

* * *

Kohta watched the meeting through the window in the van with icy chills racing down his spine. "Something's not right."

"How so?" Lucy asked.

"He just knocked down one of own people," Kohta replied.

"He did what?" Aiko asked, disbelieving until she peeked out, seeing Tian standing up.

"What's going on, Aiko?" Kohta demanded.

"I don't know," Aiko replied. "I've never seen Jin this upset before."

"Something is affecting him," Lucy murmured. "It's something I've never experienced before but I know it's affecting him because it's affecting me."

"How?" Aiko asked, sitting down beside Lucy.

"It's hard to explain," she answered. "Whatever it is, it's calling to the part of me that wants to kill all humans. It's also creating a fog in my mind. I can barely sense Jin and he's standing right there."

"And how are you going to deal with this?" Aiko asked.

Lucy looked at Kohta and squeezed his hand. "I don't know. But I'm not going to let it take over. I feel if I give in to it, I'll end up right back where I started before Kohta saved me."

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you," Kohta declared. He raised her hand and kissed her bandaged knuckles. Lucy felt a warm sensation race down her spine that brought a smile to her face.

"That's good," Aiko stated. Before she could speak again, the side door opened, revealing Mayu, Nana, Myra, Jin, Doug, and several monks with tactical gear and machine guns standing there, who were facing away from van. Mayu and Nana climbed in.

"What's happening?" Aiko asked.

Jin stepped up. "There's something very sinister happening here. Someone is tampering with the Collective as I speak and it's blocking my ability to sense other diclonius. We may be in deeper trouble than I anticipated."

Lucy scowled. "So you show your true colors. You're no better than the rest of them!"

Jin glared icily at Lucy. "Now is not the time for this, milady. We're trying to save your life here."

"That's enough…both of you," Aiko snapped. "Jin…Lucy just said she felt something spurring her fury and inhibiting her ability to sense you. Is that what's causing this problem?"

"She sensed it, too?" he asked.

"I did," Lucy growled icily. "You should've never brought us here."

"Let it go, Lucy," Kohta said evenly. "We're here and it's nothing we can do about it. If we get out of this alive, then you and Jin can argue about it."

"Kohta's right," Myra said, handing a nine-millimeter pistol to Kohta. "This situation is very dangerous. Without Jin's ability to sense other diclonius, we don't know how many there are. Take this gun and protect Lucy, Mayu, Nana, and Yuka. I'm going to stay out here and guard the van with everyone else."

Jin abruptly handed a pistol to Aiko. "Protect them, Aiko. Doug and the rest of the team are going to set a perimeter around the van while Cai, Ming, and I search out the threat. They have orders to kill anything hostile. We're going to get through this. Kagami will be here. We just need to give her time."

Aiko accepted the pistol and nodded. "I'll do what I can to keep them safe."

"Good," Jin replied. Then looking at Lucy again, he added, "Forgive me for snapping at you, milady. I hope this evening to prove myself to you." With that, he slid the door shut. "Lock the doors…all of them!"

Aiko, Mayu, and Nana immediately locked every door. "I'm scared," Mayu whispered, clinging to Nana.

"We all are," Aiko said. "But Jin will do everything he can to keep us from harm. Nana, can you sense this problem that Jin and Lucy are sensing?"

"Yea," she murmured. "It's like a bad fog that won't lift. It makes me want to hurt people, too. But I don't want to hurt anyone."

"I know you don't," Aiko said.

"Are you going to shoot someone to protect us like last time, Kohta?" Nana asked.

Kohta stared at the gun. "Yea…I suppose I will. But I hope I don't have to."

"You sound unsure of yourself," Lucy murmured as a prick of fear raced down her spine.

"I will do it," Kohta reaffirmed. "They'll have to kill me before they get to any of you."

"I'm sure you'll do what you must," Aiko said. "You've already proven that. Just have faith in Jin. He'll come through."

"You better hope so," Lucy hissed. "…or it's all our asses."

* * *

Outside the van, Jin stood in the middle of his heavily armed team. "Okay people…set up a twelve meter perimeter around the van," Jin ordered. Stay low and alert and use your night-vision. Doug…you, Shen, Myra, and Brenda stay close to the van while the rest of you spread out on the perimeter. Cai, Ming, and I will go on search and destroy. We need to keep Lucy safe until Kagami shows up. All right…let's do it!" He clapped his hands and the team moved into action.

* * *

Jin walked slowly toward the Temple with Cai and Ming either side of him. "Ming, Cai, you take the front while I take the rear and watch you backs."

"Yes sir," they replied, moving cautiously toward the front of the temple.

Jin edged toward the back of the temple, eyeing the darkness. "Where are you?" he muttered. "I know you're here."

As he approached the trees there, shadows moved in the pale moonlight as the wind died. The crickets and frogs suddenly stopped calling, creating an ominous silence.

"This can't be good," he whispered. A tingling sensation tickled the back of his head. In less than a second, he dove aside as the ground exploded where he stood. Rolling to his feet, he saw a hail of tree branches shooting from the treeline. His vectors extended and blocked them, shredding the makeshift spears as they continued to fly from the trees. Then, a hail of large rocks came from his left, catching him off guard. Several rocks pelted him, stunning him long enough for three of the spears to breech his vector shield, one striking him in the shoulder, one plunging into his belly, and a third hitting him in the leg. All three penetrated all the way through. A cry of pain erupted from him. Shock covered his face as he fell to his knees, grasping the branch in his belly. Several more large rocks pummeled him, knocking him on his side.

When the hail of rocks and branches subsided, a dozen diclonius flew from the trees, surrounding him. He groaned while pushing up with his hand, body on fire with the wounds and with the rising fury. They stood back three meters, glaring at him.

Then a voice called out from above them. "Well, well, well…if it isn't the great Jin Ryu Osabi, self-appointed protector of the Queen."

Jin searched for the voice, seeing a Chinese man standing on the roof of the temple, staring icily at him. A mocking, stony smile plastered his face in the pale moonlight. "Don't worry…your death won't be quick or painless," the man crowed.

Jin's face wrinkled as his fury exploded. "Chen! So you're behind this!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Chen hissed. "But I do know that whatever is going on here is helping me kill you and your precious Queen. By the way, don't worry about her. Ling and her team should be taking care of her right about now." Gunfire suddenly crackled from the far side of the temple and Chen cackled maniacally.

A roar erupted from Jin as he stood, snapping off the branches that impaled him. "Tear him apart!" Chen ordered his minions and the dozen diclonius surrounding Jin advanced, sending out their vectors in a rain of death.

"Never!" Jin shouted, his eyes turning dark as his fury burned bright. In a blink, every diclonius around him simultaneously exploded in a spray of blood, gore, and limbs. Body parts rained down for a five-meter radius around Jin. With their deaths, Jin's back arched and an unearthly roar rose from him as he absorbed their essences, strengths, and furies. Chen stared, dumbfounded at the carnage he just witnessed.

Jin's eye turned to Chen, full of fire. A twisted, sinister smile crossed his lips. Before Chen could react, Jin reached out with his vectors and snared him, smashing him to the ground headfirst. "Stupid shit…you've no idea who you're dealing with." He then threw Chen through the back wall into the shrine.

Chen staggered through the opening, blood gushing from numerous wounds on his head and torso. A massive splinter from the wall stuck out of his right shoulder. His eyes turned to ice as he yanked the piece from his shoulder. Blood gushed. "You're strong. I'll give you that." With a flick of his vectors, he ripped the Buddha from its place and threw it at Jin. He then followed, launching himself at Jin with his vectors.

Jin caught the Buddha with his vectors, sitting it down gently. "You asshole…don't you have any respect for where we are?"

"Why should I?" Chen shouted, striking with his vectors as he descended. "It's nothing but a steaming pile of shit to me!"

Jin dodged, barely missing Chen's vectors as they carved a crater in the ground. He rolled to a stop, briefly disoriented as Chen landed. "Die, human lover…die with the rest of your pathetic human race," Chen roared, striking with all twelve of his vectors.

Jin suddenly found clarity in the Collective, clearly seeing his adversary. Yet his fury burned like a nuclear furnace. He glanced at Chen with an icy smile, sending out all thirty of his vectors at once. Chen's eyes grew wide and before he could react, Jin's vectors ripped him into tiny pieces no larger than a finger in less than ten seconds. "No one kills the Queen on my watch, you asshole," Jin snarled. Suddenly, he felt Chen's essence fill him and he screamed in excruciating pain, his whole mind and body filled with fire and fury. His scream shattered the glass in the temple. When the pain subsided, he rose. As he stood, explosions and gunfire echoed from the far side of the Temple, spurring him into action.

* * *

Shortly after Jin vanished into the darkness behind the temple, Lucy's eyes grew wide as she suddenly saw in her mind every diclonius within a thousand meter radius. "What the hell?" she cursed, seeing thirty-seven diclonius from above advancing on their position from all directions.

"What is it?" Kohta asked.

"I don't know what it is," Lucy said, fear in her voice. "I'm seeing things. We have an army of diclonius descending upon us. I can see them."

"What happened to the fog you talked about?" Aiko asked, cocking her pistol and releasing the safety.

"It's still there, but I can somehow see through it," Lucy whispered. "There's another force countering the first one I felt, allowing me to see everything from above. It's freaking me out."

Kohta took her hand. Before he could speak, gunfire erupted from the perimeter.

"They're here!" Lucy hissed, feeling her Fury rising.

"What do we do?" Mayu whined.

"Keep your head down," Aiko ordered. "Nana…we may need your help."

"I'll try," she replied, shaking while holding onto Mayu.

Screams echoed from outside the van as gunfire crackled. Suddenly, the van began rocking from side to side as objects pounded on it from all sides. Aiko turned as the back window shattered from a tree limb projectile.

"Aiko!" Kohta cried, seeing the limb a moment before she did. He lurched forward, tackling her. A sickening slurp followed. Kohta winced, and collapsed on Aiko with the limb running him through the right side of his chest. Blood spewed on her as Lucy's eyes grew wide in horror.

"Kohta!" she shrieked as Aiko rolled him on his side while the van pitched violently.

Mayu and Nana stared in disbelief. The side door suddenly ripped off its hinges, revealing two diclonius in a frenzy of bloodletting. They smiled menacingly, launching their vectors. Lucy counterattacked viciously, ripping them apart in a blink. Another diclonius tore the back door off. Aiko emptied her pistol into the advancing diclonius.

Yet another diclonius shattered the windshield. Nana deflected that diclonius' vectors and punched his pineal gland. A gunshot followed, with the right hand side of his head exploding. Brains splattered over driver's side door and steering wheel. He slumped over the dashboard. Lucy heard a voice over the din, shouting, "Kill them all! Kill Lucy!"

Then the van pitched, rolling over on its side, sending everyone tumbling. Mayu and Nana cried in terror. Kohta shrieked as the limb impaling him pushed to the side, opening the wound farther. Blood gushed. The roof of the van crushed in as a large object pounded on it from the outside. An explosion went off close by, sending shrapnel sticking into the van, but not penetrating into it. Smoke filled everyone's nostrils as the crackling of fire rose nearby.

"Ugh," Aiko moaned, shaking her head while taking stock of the situation. Lucy lay stunned. Mayu and Nana slowly pushed the debris off them. Kohta lay on his side, blood oozing, gasping for breath and Yuka lay on her belly, still comatose. As Aiko moved toward Kohta to help him, a tree branch penetrated the top of the van, slamming into her side. A shriek escaped her lips as it impaled her. With a maximum effort, she pushed off the makeshift spear that connected her to the roof of the van, falling over Yuka and hitting her head on the wheel well of the van. Stars exploded in her mind and darkness swallowed her.

Lucy slowly pushed to her knees, seeing Aiko fall to the branch. "No…Aiko!" Her vision fell upon Kohta next, seeing him bleeding to death. "Kohta!" Her anger blossomed and she clawed her way to the front of the van as the attack on the van itself suddenly ceased. "I'm going to kill all of them!" she snarled, sticking her head out the broken windshield.

A gunshot echoed through the van and a diclonius fell from above Lucy to the ground in front of her...a gaping wound in his chest.

Lucy wheeled around, seeing Kohta holding his pistol…smoke curling from its barrel. With that, he passed out, dropping the gun. Lucy's anger waned as deep concern for him rose. She crawled back to him with tears dripping down her cheek. "I have to do something," she cried. "I can't let him die."

Instinct took her and with the precision of a machine, she released her vectors to treat Kohta, first removing the branch impaling his chest. A groan escaped his lips when the makeshift spear came out with a gush of blood. "Stop bleeding…please stop bleeding," Lucy whispered, sending her vectors into his body to try to repair the damage.

* * *

At the height of the attack on the van, Ling suddenly turned her head to the temple as Jin' scream rose over the noise of the battle. She felt emptiness as Chen's essence vanished from her mind. "Chen…Chen!" she shrieked. With that, she launched herself into the battle. As she entered into the fight, Jin descended upon her with fury.

"This stops now!" he roared.

"To me!" Ling cried out and the diclonius attacking the van retreated to defend her. Twenty diclonius surrounded Jin and Ling. "Kill him!" she shrieked.

Jin scowled. Before they could touch him, his vectors chopped them into tiny bits, leaving Ling to witness the carnage after he disabled her vectors with a punch to the pineal gland. A malevolent smile touched his lips. "Good bye, Ling," he growled icily, cutting her into twenty slices from head to toe in an instant. A shriek escaped her lips before she slumped to the ground…so many pieces of sliced meat.

A burning sensation filled Jin's mind and body…from the crown of his head to his toes and a translucent glow surrounded him. He dropped to his knees facing the Temple and roared to the sky. A mysterious concussive blast erupted from him, spreading in all directions. The temple shook and crumbled into a pile of rubble. The van pitched violently, rising up and then slamming back to the ground. Cries of terror and pain rose from inside the van.

Doug, Myra, Shen, and Cai stepped out from behind the van and watched in troubled awe and fear as Jin absorbed the essence of every diclonius he killed in front of them. "What's happening?" Myra asked, clenching her bloody right arm.

"He's absorbing their essence, just like he told you at the Sanctuary," Doug stated. Both Cai and I have done the same with the diclonius we've dispatched. But when someone like Jin kills so many at one time, including the royals, the process is very painful and violent. A violent release of energy is always a side effect of such a fight. We must approach him very carefully because his Fury is exceptionally strong right now."

Jin stood slowly, swaying as he stared at the ruins of Byodoin. He turned to them, flames in his eyes.

Myra gasped, seeing the severe wounds Jin had taken. "He's badly wounded!"

Doug restrained her by the arm as she stepped toward Jin. "Don't do it, Myra. He's exceptionally dangerous right now. He'll kill you without a thought."

Jin stared with a twisted, sinister smile, seeing two vans on fire and the third turned on its side crushed and battered.

"Jin…are you all right? It's me, Doug. Jin?" Doug called out.

A growl escaped Jin's lips.

"Master Jin!" Cai pleaded. "Please…remember our mission. The Queen needs you. We need you."

"Yes," Jin hissed slowly. "The Queen needs me. She needs my vectors to end her pain."

"Jin Ryu Osabi," a female voice called out from behind him.

Doug, Myra, Shen, and Cai went on guard, seeing a beautiful Japanese woman with long black hair and green eyes wearing fatigues. Standing beside her was a cloaked elderly diclonius. Behind them stood four middle-aged diclonii…one man and three women dressed as Kagami. "Who're they?" Myra asked.

Doug looked closely at the old man and gasped. "It's okay…It's Akira and his daughter, Kagami."

"Jin…Jin, can you hear me?" the black-haired woman asked. "Do you remember me? It's me, Kagami," A hiss escaped Jin's lips. "You called me, remember?" Silence reigned for a few moments. Kagami edged toward Jin slowly, hands empty and in plain sight. "Just relax, Jin. No one's going to hurt you."

Myra watched with baited breath as Kagami approached Jin as if he were a wild animal.

"It's over…no one's going to hurt you," Kagami cooed. "You've done well and protected our Queen with your life."

A sinister smile crossed Jin's lips as Kagami came within five paces. "Just relax, my great samurai. The battle is over and you're victorious," she reassured.

A gleam abruptly formed in Jin's eye as he struck her with three vectors. Two wrapped around her, picking her up. The third plunged into her brain.

"No!" Myra cried, seeing Kagami floating.

"Quiet, human," Akira rebuked. "She knows what she's doing."

Kagami went limp as a blank look covered her face. Jin's face suddenly faltered. Kagami's blank look turned into a sheepish smile. She stared down at Jin, saying softly, "Please put me down, Jin."

Jin's face softened as he gently sat Kagami down. "Kagami?" His face paled and he collapsed. Kagami rushed forward, cradling him in her arms. "Did I save them?" he whispered.

"Yes…you did well, Jin," she answered.

Myra gasped. "How'd she do that?"

"Help…someone please help us!" Mayu's voice cried from the van.

"Damn…I forgot about the van," Doug cursed, rushing to it. Shen and Cai followed. Myra stared at Kagami and Jin for a few moments before Mayu's pleas shocked her out of her amazement. She quickly moved to the van to assist.

"Rachel, Kaya, Naomi, Duncan, go help them," Akira ordered the diclonii behind him. They immediately rushed to help.

Akira squatted down, placing his hand on Jin's shoulder. "Be still, Jin. You and your people are safe."

"Lucy…you must help Lucy," Jin pleaded before slipping unconscious.

"I will, son," he replied.

As he spoke, Shen rushed up. "Sir…we desperately need your help. Kohta and Aiko are severely injured. They're dying. Please, help them, if you can."

"What do you mean 'If I can?'?" Akira retorted.

"Please…help them," Shen begged.

"Go dad," Kagami said. "I'll take care of Jin."

Akira smiled and rose, saying, "Okay…let's see to your friends."

"Thank you," Shen said, bowing to the elderly diclonius.

"Kagami…summon Draco for an emergency extraction," Akira added. "We need to get away from here as quickly as possible. The battle will surely have attracted the attention of the authorities."

"Yes, dad," Kagami replied, pulling out a communicator.

"Come, human…let's help your friends," Akira said, patting Shen on the shoulder.

As they approached the van, Akira noticed Mayu and Nana stood next to Cai, trembling and bruised, but intact. Just then, Myra crawled out of the van through the broken windshield. He stared at Myra. "You're a doctor, correct?"

Myra felt a strange chill race down her spine. "Yes sir."

"How bad is it?" Akira asked.

"Kohta has large wound to the upper right portion of his chest," Myra stated. "Apparently, he took a tree branch while pushing Aiko out of the way. Lucy is trying to treat him. But he's lost a lot of blood. If something isn't done to stabilize him, he could die right here. Aiko took a branch in the side and she's bleeding to death as I speak. I did the best I could to stem the blood loss. But we lost most of our equipment in the attack."

Akira's face grew stern. "This sounds serious. I'd better take a look." He walked around to the left side of the van and cut the roof off with his vectors in less than two seconds. Sitting the piece of metal down, he peered in, seeing Lucy in a defensive position, cradling Kohta in her arms.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded.

Akira smiled in a fatherly fashion. "At last, I finally see you face to face, my Queen. Fear not, I am Akira Nariko and I'm here to help."


	12. Chapter 12 Aftermath

Chapter 12

Aftermath

Lucy glared at Akira, her feelings and instincts at war with each other, twisting her insides into knots as she held Kohta…his blood soaking the loose-fitting gray dress Jin had given her before leaving Mitsumine. "You're here to help? Right…and I'm Empress of the world."

Akira gazed into Lucy's eyes. He knelt on both knees outside the van and bowed his head. "Milady…you don't comprehend the truth of your statement. I know you were being sarcastic and don't believe I'm here to help. You don't believe anyone can be trusted, save for the young human you're cradling. That's far from the truth." A sigh escaped his lips. "Lucy, there's only one way for you to know the truth. Extend your vector, strike my mind, and learn the truth before your human friend bleeds to death. I can help, but only if you allow me to. I won't block your vector and will open my essence to you. I've no desire to create more sorrow for you. But be quick about it. Time is against us."

Lucy hesitated, seeing and sensing something familiar behind his eyes. A moan escaped Kohta's lips, drawing her attention to him as everyone watched.

"Please, let him do something, my Queen," Naomi begged. "He values all life, including the life of your human."

"Let him try, Lucy," Myra said. "If you don't trust him, do what you did to me to find out, just like he suggested." Everyone present agreed with Myra and Naomi.

A disarmingly pleasant smile crept slowly across Akira's lips. "I promise I won't hurt the lad. You have my word."

Lucy looked up with an uncertain look, sending out a single vector that penetrated into Akira's brain. After a few moments, his smile broadened. Retracting her vector, she whispered, "Okay, you've convinced me. Please help him…just don't let him die. He means everything to me. I just don't have the knowledge or skill to save him."

"It's okay, my Queen," Akira said as he moved into the van, kneeling in front of them. "You're still young and haven't fully come to terms with your abilities yet. We hope to help you with that, if you'll permit it." Vectors sprang from Akira's back, penetrating into Kohta's damaged body as he held his hand. "Hmmm…he was injured from a previous attack as well. This isn't good. But I think I can help him. Rachel, go assist Kagami. Duncan, Kaya, Naomi…watch the perimeter. The Collective is fluctuating again. We may have some unwanted guests approaching."

"Yes, master Akira," they said, rushing away.

Akira continued concentrating on repairing the damage to Kohta…his red eyes blazing like a furnace. "You did a good job cleaning the wound, milady. There's very little foreign matter in the wound," he complimented while working. Kohta suddenly moaned, stirring.

Lucy's eyes grew wide and a gasp escaped her lips. The blood flow from Kohta's wound ceased as it closed before her eyes. "How did you do that? I couldn't get it to close or stop the bleeding." she asked in amazement.

Kohta briefly opened his eyes and smiled before falling unconscious again.

Akira chuckled at Lucy's question. "Years of knowledge and experience allowed me to do that. Once upon a time long ago, I was one hell of a medic. It's actually a skill that lies dormant within you. I'll teach you about when the time is right, my Queen. But for now, I must see to this young lady before she gets any worse."

His vectors plunged into Aiko as he placed his hand on her forehead. "Hmmm…she's badly damaged, but she's not as bad as the young man. Let me clean the wound and do a few repairs on her so she doesn't bleed to death." A minute later after her wound closed, he said, "There we go…all clean and patched up. Now let's see to this other young lady here."

He gently touched her on the head while closely examining her with his vectors. Looking into her bruised face, he murmured, "Interesting…this little lady is in a deep coma from severe gunshot trauma to the chest from an earlier attack. But someone's treated her and she's stable for the moment, so it's okay to move her. Luckily, she didn't take any real damage in this attack. Okay now…let's get everyone out of this wreck. Doug, Shen…go watch the perimeter with the others. The fluctuations are getting stronger."

"Yes sir," Doug and Shen answered in unison, rushing away.

"Is there anything we can do?" Myra asked Akira, gesturing to Mayu and Nana.

"No," he said. "I can handle this." He noticed Myra's bloody right arm, adding, "Is the arm hurting you much?"

"Yea…some," Myra stated. "But it's not that bad. It can wait."

"Very well," Akira replied. "I'll help you with that arm as soon as we're safely away from this place. Now please give me some space." Myra, Nana, and Mayu backed away from Akira as he looked at Lucy. He stared deep into her eyes. "Lucy…I know you're wounded, too. Would you permit me to lift you and your friends with my vectors?"

She looked into Kohta's unconscious face, saying, "I suppose so. Just don't try anything funny. Like I said to Jin, you still have to gain my trust. Besides, my legs aren't feeling exactly right. I'm not sure I can walk."

"Of course, milady," Akira stated. "I completely understand. I'm going to pick you up now." She nodded as he stood. Her stomach lurched when his vectors gently curled around her and Kohta, lifting them in the air. The moment Akira's vectors touched her, she responded instinctively, creating a shield around her and Kohta with her vectors…pushing Akira's vectors back with her vectors so they couldn't touch her or Kohta. "You still don't trust me," he chided mildly as he latched on to her vectors to support her and Kohta. "But that's all right. I know you're acting out of instinct to protect yourself. It's only natural."

"I'm just making sure," Lucy said coolly. "You still have to earn my trust, despite what you've already done."

Akira flashed that disarming smile of his at her as she started sensing his vectors through hers. A puzzled look crossed her face. Unlike the vectors of every other diclonius she'd encountered…including Jin, Akira's vectors felt warm and alive, pulsing with energy and life. She watched with an uncertain look as she, Kohta, Yuka, and Aiko floated out of the van. Akira slowly backed them away from the wreck, holding them just off the ground. After everyone cleared of the van, he released three more vectors, effortlessly shoving the ruined vehicle aside to clear a path. The shriek of the van's metal against the pavement of the parking lot echoed into the night. He noticed the look on Lucy's face and turned her so she could look him in the face as he walked them to Kagami and Jin sitting halfway across the parking lot. "Something puzzles you about my vectors, doesn't it, my queen?"

Lucy hesitated, trying to comprehend this new feeling associated with Akira's vectors. He chuckled as they stopped next to Kagami and Jin. Jin was still unconscious in Kagami's arms. "I'm not what you expected, am I?" Akira asked as everyone gathered around.

"To be honest, no," Lucy replied, holding Kohta in her arms as they floated, suspended by Akira's vectors. Her face began to show the strain of holding her vectors out.

"Draco will be here in a couple minutes," Kagami stated, stroking Jin's hair.

"Good," Akira said as he focused his attention on Lucy again. "Our transport will be here momentarily, milady. Then we can quit this place before the authorities arrive." Noticing her weakening, he said softly, "You don't have to hold against me with your vectors, Lucy. You can trust me. Just relax and let me support you. I have no intention of harming you. If I did, I would've done it long ago."

Lucy suddenly slumped with a groan, retracting her vectors. "I just can't hold them out."

"Of course not, milady," Akira said. "You're still weak from your wounds. But don't cut yourself short. That was an amazing effort you made to keep my vectors off you and your friend. I'm impressed."

Lucy's eyes widened as she sensed Akira's vectors physically and much more acutely. They were warm, like a mother's embrace. A soft smile started creeping across her lips and the puzzlement of how she could feel safe suspended in his vectors grew. Gazing into Akira's eyes, she sensed something familiar behind those maroon pools. He held out his hand to Lucy, saying, "You see something familiar in me, don't you, Lucy? Take my hand and find out what it is."

Lucy found her will weakening and her hand slowly reaching out to Akira. However, just before touching his hand, she clenched her eyes shut and pulled her hand back. "No. I can't do it. Not yet. I'm just not sure."

Akira sighed, lowering his hand. "It's all right. I knew you weren't ready. But I still gave you the opportunity just to see if you were. When you're ready to find that answer, I'll be here. Now, is there something you want to ask me about my vectors?"

Lucy's mouth fell open. For a moment, she struggled to verbalize her desire. Finally, the words came. "What are you and why do your vectors feel so different from everyone else's vectors, including mine?"

A soft breeze arose, stirring Akira's long snow-white hair. "My dear Queen, it's good that you can sense the difference. As for what I am, this is not the place to tell you. I'll tell you that when we reach my sanctuary at Aso. But I will tell you this. Our vectors define who we are…good or bad. Most diclonius never reach the level I have achieved because they never live long enough to do so. Their fury consumes them long before they mature."

A look of extreme confusion crossed Lucy's face. "I don't understand."

A fatherly smile crossed Akira's face as a tour bus-sized RV pulled up in the parking lot. "You will when we reach Aso, Lucy. I promise."

The side door of the RV opened, revealing a diclonius with green eyes and short crimson hair. "Akira!" he shouted. "We need to go now. The military's descending on this place as I speak, as are a number of rogues. This is not a safe place to be right now."

Akira whistled loudly, bringing Duncan, Kaya, Naomi, Doug, and Shen. Lucy clenched her ears at the whistle, grimacing. Once everyone gathered around, he barked, "Everyone in the RV."

"What about our friends who were killed?" Shen asked, briefly remembering when a rogue diclonius punched Tian's heart out during the attack.

"We don't have time," Akira stated as he saw Kagami and Doug enter the RV carrying Jin. "Isn't that right, Draco?"

The green-eyed diclonius nodded. "That's right. The police and military will be here in less than five minutes."

"I can't leave Tian," Shen balked. He suddenly floated, feeling a band of force immobilizing him. "Let me go!" The heavy thumping of rotor blades began echoing through the trees, stifling his protests. His eyes shot to the sky as chills raced down his spine. "I'm sorry…you're right, master Akira. I'm not thinking. Let's get out of here."

"Let him go, Draco," Akira ordered.

The green-eyed diclonius released Shen and patted him on the shoulder. "You're a good man, Shen. We'll do what we can to retrieve your friends." Draco glanced at Akira and he nodded. In a blink, Draco vanished into the battlefield as Shen stepped into the RV.

Lucy watched in confused amazement. "Where'd he go?" she asked Akira as she, Kohta, Yuka, and Aiko floated into the RV ahead of him. He came in behind them, taking them to the rear of the vehicle.

"Making sure everyone is accounted for," he replied after a pause, gently sitting her and Kohta on one of three beds in the back room of the RV where Myra, Mayu, and Nana were waiting. He likewise deposited Yuka and Aiko respectively on the other two beds. "Stay here while I go make sure everything is all right." Akira bowed slightly and darted toward the front of the RV, leaving them.

Lucy stared, not knowing what to think. Kohta lay in her arms, unconscious, but alive. Myra approached her, sitting on the edge of the bed. "May I check him, Lucy?"

With a nod from Lucy, Myra checked Kohta's pulse, finding it weak and erratic. She shook her head. "He's lost a lot of blood. We're going to have to give him a transfusion pretty quick or he's a goner." Lucy's face fell with the news. The RV rumbled and started moving as Mayu and Nana sat down next to Lucy.

"He's going to be all right, Lucy. You'll see," Mayu whispered, touching Lucy on the arm. "He won't die…he can't die." Tears burst from Mayu's eyes with sobs escaped her lips, refusing to be held back. Nana put her arms around Mayu, weeping with her.

Myra darted to Mayu and knelt down, embracing her. "No…he's not going to die, not as long as I have breath in me. He's not going to die."

Lucy watched in deep grief and with a bit of curiosity as Myra console Mayu and Nana. A eerie, warm sensation filled her wounded chest. It tugged at her heart, slowly eroding the icy hate still there. Tears welled up with her compassion and she found her hand reaching out to Mayu, gently touching her on the head. Mayu looked up at Lucy, seeing the kindest look she'd ever seen on Lucy's face. Lucy said not a word, only let her expression say what she couldn't verbalize.

"Thank you, Lucy," Mayu whimpered, going to Lucy and embracing her. "Please don't let Kohta die. He's the only real father I've ever had."

With that one comment, Lucy began to understand Mayu's love for Kohta. "You really see him as a father?"

Mayu nodded. "Yea…I love him as such, too. You're not jealous, are you?"

Despite her grief and confusion, a soft chuckle rose from Lucy. "How can I? He sees you as his little sister. How can I be jealous of that?" A pang of guilt shot through her heart before she even finished speaking.

"You won't let him die…will you, Lucy?" Mayu asked, holding her hand.

"No…I won't. I love him. He's why I'm still alive and not dead at the bottom of the ocean. But how do I help him?"

"You already have," Akira stated, walking in as the RV leaned into a turn. "What you did for him before I arrived made the difference. However, he's still in critical condition. Myra…what do you think?"

"He needs a transfusion immediately," she stated. "Unfortunately, there are only two people that I know of who have his blood type. Jin is one and Lucy is the other. But because of Jin's injuries, getting blood from him is impossible."

"Then that leaves Lucy," Akira stated, sitting down cross-legged on the floor.

"True…but I'm not sure she's healed enough to give blood," Myra admitted.

"That's not the only thing that concerns me," Akira stated.

"What are you saying?" Lucy asked bluntly. "If I have enough blood to save Kohta's life, I'll do it."

"It's not the problem if you have it," Akira declared. "It's the fact that you're the Queen. I'm not sure what would happen if we give your human friend a large portion of your blood. It may change him in ways we can't comprehend."

"What do you mean?" Myra asked.

Akira looked up at them with deadly conviction. "A human has never received the blood of a diclonius before. Several things could possibly occur. The best of all outcomes would be he receives the blood and nothing bad happens to him. He survives to see another day. However, there are a couple of outcomes I hesitate to speak of. The worst of all outcomes would be his body rejects the blood because it's diclonius and not pure human…killing him in a most hideous and painful manner." Looks of horror rose on the faces of everyone present. "Another possible outcome would be that his body accepts the blood, but it alters his genetic structure, possibly mutating him into a diclonius. I believe that's the theory behind Kakuzawa's little pet project to restore his diclonius blood. It would explain why he's so insistent on an intact capture of you, Lucy."

"How do you know such things?" Lucy blurted out.

"I've been keeping an eye on that lunatic for quite some time," Akira hissed, letting his displeasure of Kakuzawa ooze out. "I've seen and sensed what he's doing and have been watching for an opportunity to stop his madness."

"You're not answering the question!" Lucy snapped. "How do you know?"

"Lucy…I could tell you, but you wouldn't believe what I say."

"Try me!"

"Very well, my Queen. Jin informed you about the Collective, right?" She nodded. "I know about Kakuzawa's program from two sources. One is a brilliant hacker who broke his security, finding his Lazarus project. His name is Saito Murata and he works in the upper echelon of the ARGUS intelligence apparatus. The second is from the Collective itself. You see, milady…I'm the supreme commander of the diclonius Special Forces the Collective set up to protect you. I have a direct channel to the positive side of the Collective. It's directed me for many years, helping me to locate and train those diclonius who're destined to be your guard. Jin is one of them, though I fear he's beginning to succumb to the Fury. This is why you noticed the difference in my vectors. It's because of my connection to the positive side of the Collective. It's full of light and life and shares that power with those who ally with it. My vectors mirror that power. To put it in terms of a hierarchy, it works like this. You, my Queen, are on top…the only one with direct access to the Collective. The one you choose as your king is second in command. As the general of the diclonius special opts, I answer only to you, my Queen."

Lucy stared with her mouth hanging open. After a few moments, she said, "You're right, I don't believe it. Now I know where Jin came up with that ridiculous story about the Collective. Let me ask you this. If this Collective really exists, then why haven't I seen or felt it?"

"Because you were young and lost in darkness," Akira stated. "A diclonius only becomes aware of the Collective after he or she matures. Think of it as a sort of puberty. You're right on the cusp of seeing the Collective for the first time, Lucy. You may have already seen it and not realized it. Did you ever wonder how you escaped that watery grave when the soldiers ambushed you on the bridge?" He looked her square in the eye with a raised eyebrow.

"The thought did occur to me when I found myself on the beach," she answered softly. "I knew I was dead, and then somehow, miraculously, I was alive. I still don't know how that happened."

"Believe it or not, the Collective itself rescued you," he declared. "You found yourself in a warm darkness…a void where nothing tormented you, not even your fury. You wanted to stay forever because you felt great peace and contentment there. But it wasn't meant to be. Your thoughts turned to this young man here and the sorrow you felt for what you did to him. The longer you floated there, remembering, the more you wished for those last moments with him. The Collective felt your wish and pushed you ashore, giving you that second chance."

Lucy felt a violent chill race down her spine as her face betrayed her astonishment. "Who are you? How did you know about that warm place in the dark?"

His ancient face wrinkled as he smiled. "I know because the positive side of the Collective showed me. You see, I cannot enter the Collective like you can. But I can touch it and gain strength and knowledge from it. Do you have any idea of how old I am?"

"I would guess about seventy," Myra suggested.

Akira cackled. "Not even close…I'm a hundred and eighteen. The power of the Collective has kept me alive all this time so I could have the opportunity to show you the true nature of our species."

Spontaneous gasps erupted from those present. "Then how old is your daughter?" Mayu asked, suddenly finding her voice.

"Kagami's fifty, and she's as different from us as we are from you."

"Fifty?" Mayu questioned with a gasp. "She doesn't look a day over thirty. How is that possible?"

"What do you mean, 'different from us'?" Nana asked.

"Kagami is a hybrid…a genetic fusion of the diclonius and humans."

"You're talking about a half-breed like that bastard, Kakuzawa," Lucy hissed in disgust.

"No…she isn't a half-breed like Kakuzawa. Half-breeds like Kakuzawa have their diclonius genetics watered down through generations of inbreeding with humans, leaving them with no vectors and reduced horns. No, Kagami's a true hybrid diclonius. She isn't diclonius and she isn't human. She has the best and worst of both worlds."

"Does she have vectors?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Akira stated. "…and more. She has a gift for deep telepathy that isn't connected to her vectors. She can commune with both species, mind to mind, without the use of her vectors. That's how she was able to overcome Jin's Fury after the battle. Unfortunately, like all diclonius, she has a piece of the Fury tainting her. But her humanity has allowed her to tame it and remain civilized. If you doubt my words, I'll have her come back here so you can see for yourself."

"People, we've gotten off the subject here," Myra informed everyone, noticing Kohta's complexion growing paler by the minute. "Kohta needs blood immediately. What're we going to do about it? Lucy is the only person present who has the same type."

"You're right, doctor," Akira agreed. "The young man needs our help. We can continue this discussion about Kagami later. All I was doing was pointing out the potential risk of Lucy sharing her blood with the young man. Does everyone understand that there's a real chance it might alter or even kill him?"

"What would you say the odds are for such a problem to occur?" Myra asked.

"I do not know," Akira replied. "Like I said, this is something that has never occurred in the history of the diclonius. But we must make a decision quickly because he'll die before we reach Aso if we don't."

"Enough talk," Lucy snapped. "It's my blood. It's my decision. I came back because of Kohta. Even if there's the tiniest chance that my blood can save his life, I'm willing to do it. He's all I have left."

"Lucy's right," Nana stated, noticing the green-eyed Draco standing at the doorway with Naomi, Rachel, and Kaya. "If there's any chance to save him, then do it. It's better than watching him die in front of us."

Draco coughed and Akira looked up. "What is it, Draco?"

"We heard raised voices back here and was wondering if everything was okay."

"We're deciding how best to help the young man," Akira replied.

"Are any of you AB negative blood type?" Myra asked.

They shook their heads. "Afraid not, doctor. And to my knowledge, there's no one at home who is either." Draco informed. "What's this about?"

"Kohta needs a blood transfusion badly," Mayu blurted out. "If he doesn't get it real quick, he may…" She looked down with tears streaming and sobs rising uncontrollably…unable to finish her sentence.

"I see," Draco said, folding his arms while leaning against the door jam. "Is there anyone here who's a match?"

"I am," Lucy whispered as it suddenly hit her that what she did in the next few minutes would mean the difference between life and death for Kohta.

"Oh," Draco murmured, seeing the pained look on Lucy's face. "I didn't hear much, but I heard enough. I think the little lady there is right. If you have the power to save him, do it."

"But what if my blood kills him?" Lucy asked. "I'd never forgive myself it that happened."

"You're the Queen of the diclonius world, milady," Draco declared. "Whether you know it or not, your will decides the fate of both our species and humanity. Seems to me this is a great chance for you to make such a choice, even if it is for just one person. You must have faith in yourself and your friend. He's stronger than you realize and I'm happy that you've chosen him. He's a good human and deserves a chance to live. Who knows, maybe what you do here in the next few minutes will show us a new path and bridge the gap between us. I say save him. Give him your blood and don't worry about it destroying him. If you give it in love, then your blood will save him."

"Very well said," Akira crowed. "You're the Queen, Lucy, and every part of you must obey your will, even your blood. Will your blood to save him, and it will do so."

Lucy stared, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in astonishment. "Do I really have that much power?" she whispered upon finding the words. She gazed down into Kohta's face, noticing that he was beginning to come to.

"Yes, you do," Akira stated. "But when you do, you must control your Fury for the Fury will destroy him if you let it burn. It seeks to destroy anything that is human."

"He's coming to," Mayu cried, seeing Kohta's arm twitch.

"I have no choice," Lucy said softly. "I must save him. Myra, get your needles."

Myra nodded, rising as the RV's center of gravity shifted slightly. Looking to Akira, she asked, "Do you have what we need to do this?"

Akira smiled, saying, "Go with Draco. He'll get you set up. He'll also help you with that arm."

Draco smirked, beckoning Myra with his hand. "This way, doctor. I believe we have everything you'll need." With that, Myra followed Draco.

Kohta moaned, his eyelids flickering. Everyone grew quiet as Lucy gently shook him. "Kohta…Kohta."

His eyes slowly opened, followed by a long hoarse sigh, and a cough that brought up blood. He cried in pain, his chest on fire. Blood oozed from his mouth. Akira rose and handed a handkerchief to Lucy while sitting on the edge of the bed. She wiped the blood from Kohta's mouth, whispering, "Are you all right?"

"I don't know," he whispered hoarsely. "Am I alive?"

Lucy gently embraced him. "You are, Kohta. But you're badly hurt. This man saved you and us." She pointed to Akira.

Kohta managed to focus on the elderly diclonius. A puzzled looked crossed his pained face. "Who are you?"

"I'm Akira Nariko…Jin's teacher."

The name meant nothing to Kohta. His pain kept him in a fog. "What happened?" Kohta wheezed.

"Don't talk, son," Akira murmured. "You're gravely injured and need a transfusion. Can you understand what I'm saying?"

Kohta nodded. "I can hardly breathe and the pain's horrendous."

"Just breathe with me," Lucy whispered in his ear, holding him firmly against her chest. "Just follow my breaths."

"May I, milady?" Akira asked.

"What?"

"I can ease his pain with a little prod from my vectors."

"I don't know," Lucy returned, still very suspicious.

"Please…you know I won't hurt him."

"Okay…but if anything happens to him…"

Akira smiled in a fatherly manner. "Nothing will happen, Lucy. I promise." He loosed a vector that gently penetrated into the folds of Kohta's brain. Kohta's eyes grew wide as he felt the vector moving inside his head. Suddenly, his face relaxed and the pained look he wore vanished. His whole body followed suit as a relieved sigh escaped his lips. "There we go…he's virtually pain free," Akira stated, retracting his vector.

"How'd…you…do that?" Kohta whispered.

"I merely disconnected the pain receptors in your brain, son. In your present condition, you desperately needed it. But I'll have to reconnect them when you heal up. Pain is the way the body tells the mind something is wrong. But there's something you should know."

"What?"

"You need a transfusion to replace the blood you lost. The only person here who has your blood type is Lucy," Akira informed him in a soft tone.

Kohta glanced up at Lucy as she nodded. "He's right, Kohta. I have to give you some of my blood to save you. If I don't, you're going to die and I can't let that happen. But there's an element of risk involved here that you should know about."

"What risk?" Kohta asked softly.

"My blood could cause you to become like me or it could even kill you," Lucy murmured in his ear.

"She speaks the truth," Akira said as Myra returned with the transfusion apparatus and her arm bandaged. "There's a real chance that it could permanently alter your genetic structure or even kill you. But there's just as real a chance that it could save your life. I'm happy you were able to wake up long enough to know what we're fixing to do. Lucy has offered her blood to save your life. Will you take that chance and accept her blood, knowing what might happen?"

"You mean I might become a diclonius by taking your blood?" Kohta asked, trying to make sure he understood exactly what they were saying.

"Yes, Kohta…you might," Lucy said in his ear. "This type of thing has apparently never been done before. No one really knows how it will affect you. But I can't let you die when I have the means to save you. You must trust me. I won't let you die."

Kohta's fatigued mind reeled at the possibility of becoming like Lucy. "You'd do that for me?"

"It's already decided. As long as I have life in me and the ability to save you, I will. Maybe by saving your life, I can finally redeem myself for killing your family all those years ago."

Kohta squeezed Lucy's hand as she held him. "You don't need to redeem yourself, Lucy. I forgave you, remember." He paused, gathering what little wind he had to speak again. "But I don't want to die now that I have you back. If it means I become like you, so be it. At least then, I'd be able to protect you and our family….You'll help me if…I become…like you…won't you?"

"Absolutely," Lucy whispered, tears dripping down her cheeks. "You saved me. Now I can return the favor. Myra, get that thing over here and let's get started."

A smile crossed Akira's face as Myra moved in. "I need you to lie down next to him, Lucy," Myra ordered. Mayu and Nana backed away, hope shining on their faces. Akira and Myra helped situate Lucy and Kohta. Before starting, she asked Akira, "Could you examine Lucy and tell me whether she has healed enough to do this?"

"Of course," Akira replied. "With your permission, milady…" Lucy nodded, starting to see Akira as a potential ally. He sent several of his vectors into her, checking her vitals. She felt a warm, tingling feeling as his vectors swept through her body. Yet, she guarded herself, spinning her vectors internally to make sure he didn't harm her. Seconds later, he retracted his vectors and she relaxed. "You still don't trust me, Lucy. I saw your vectors ready to attack while I probed you. I can see this is a big issue for you. But it doesn't surprise me. What did surprise me, Lucy, is that you're almost completely healed from your wounds and you have more than enough blood to save this young man. Your blossoming power is enhancing your healing abilities. Myra…you may proceed."

"Wouldn't you do the same if you were in my place?" Lucy demanded as Myra cleaned Lucy's left wrist with an alcohol pad.

Akira smiled pleasantly. "Of course I would, milady."

"Stop calling me that!" Lucy hissed, becoming irritated with the name. "My name is Lucy."

"As you wish, Lucy," he answered with a bow.

"Now this is going to pinch just a little as I insert the needle, Lucy," Myra said calmly, lining up the needle with the vein in her wrist. "Keep your hand relaxed while I insert the needle." Lucy gritted her teeth as she felt the pressure and pain from the needle, and then sighed once it was in. She turned her head to Kohta, seeing an ashened look coming over him. Myra secured the needle in Lucy's wrist before repeating the same operation on Kohta's right wrist. Once the needles were inserted, Myra opened the value on Lucy's IV, purging the air from the connecting tube before connecting it to Kohta and opening the valve on his end of the apparatus. After watching it closely for several moments to make sure the blood was flowing smoothly into Kohta, she said, "That's it. Now we wait."

"When do you know Kohta's received enough blood?" Nana asked.

"When his pulse and blood pressure stabilize," Myra stated. "Also, his color will improve and strength will return."

"How long will it take?" Lucy asked.

"He lost a lot of blood, so I don't know. Maybe twenty minutes to a half hour at the most. Then we'll stop and see how he is. We don't want to drain you of every drop. That'd be defeating our purpose here."

"I don't care if it takes all of it," Lucy snapped. "Do whatever it takes."

"Trust me, Lucy. This is going to work and both of you will live to see another day," Myra said with a smile.

"I'll stay to help monitor the lad," Akira offered.

"Thanks for the help. Now let me see to Aiko," Myra stated, patting Lucy gently on her right arm. "I'll be right here. Akira, could you assist me?" Akira nodded and walked over to Aiko as Myra examined her.

"If you're hungry, we have some food in a refrigerator toward the front of the RV," Akira offered to Mayu and Nana. "Please, help yourself."

The thought of food caused Mayu's belly to grumble loudly. "Maybe just a little something," she mumbled. "I haven't had anything to eat since early this morning. How about you, Nana…hungry?"

"No," Nana replied. "But I am a little thirsty."

Naomi smiled broadly, saying, "Follow me…I think we can find something for you." She gestured toward the front of the RV. Mayu and Nana hesitated.

"It's all right," Akira called out, noticing their hesitation. "Everyone in this RV is your friend. They won't hurt you."

"It's all right," Lucy said. "But stay together."

"Right," Nana and Mayu chimed in unison, following Naomi to the front of the bus.

Lucy became sleepy as her blood flowed through the apparatus into Kohta. She glanced over at him, seeing him asleep with a peaceful look and a complexion that wasn't quite as ashened color. She slid her hand to his, grasping it. "I'm here for you, Kohta," she whispered, unable to stem the tide of sleep overwhelming her. A warm darkness swallowed her mind as she fell into a deep slumber.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: I hope everyone liked the last chapter and this one. These two chapters are a kind of a unit. I also hope you liked the twist about Kohta getting Lucy's blood. That should prove interesting, given what Akira had to say about it. What will Lucy's blood really do to Kohta? Will it save him? Will it mutate him into a diclonius or will he become a hybrid like Kagami? Lots of new twists here with loads of potential to go both directions here. Keep reading to find out what happens. As always, reviews are welcome. When reviewing, be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	13. Chapter 13 Allies and Enemies

Chapter 13

Allies and Enemies

Suko Arakawa tossed and turned, moaning while asleep in her quarters on the ARGUS submarine flagship, the Kraken. "No, Mr. Director…you can't! Stop! Please stop! You mustn't!" Suddenly, a scream erupted from her toes. She bolted from her bed in a panic, landing in a corner wide awake. Her eyes darted in the darkness of the room, seeing a line of light from under the door. Sweat drenched her pajamas and the stench of Kakuzawa's scent permeated her nostrils. She curled into a fetal ball and wept bitterly. Moments later, a loud knock echoed from the steel door.

"Miss Arakawa, are you all right?" a female voice called out. "Miss Arakawa?" When Suko didn't respond, the door opened with a clang. A beam of light from the doorway illuminated the bed. Seconds later, a shadow entered the beam. "Miss Arakawa?" The lights in the room snapped on and Suko temporarily buried her face in her knees to escape the pain of the light.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Miss Arakawa? I was walking by and heard you scream," the voice asked in a soothing, concerned tone.

Suko looked up, initially seeing a blurry form that quickly resolved itself into that of a female diclonius twenty years old with long auburn hair and strange hazel eyes with a slight maroon tint to them. She was dressed in a nurse's uniform. The diclonius smiled sweetly. "It's okay, Miss Arakawa. You're safe."

When Suko saw the smile on her face, she threw her arms around the girl, so happy to see a friendly face, even if it was a diclonius. The girl drew her into a caring embrace, rubbing her back. After a few moments, she coaxed Suko to her feet and drew her to the bed, sitting her down. A vector emerged from the girl's back that gently closed the door. When Suko had calmed down, the girl asked softly, "May I ask what has caused you to be so distraught, Miss Arakawa?"

Suko stifled her sobs and wiped her eyes. "I don't rightly remember. The only thing I remember is dreaming of Kakuzawa raping me again." She trembled uncontrollably. "I can still smell him. He took such pleasure while doing it, too. And somehow, I was unable to get away or even resist. I don't know how he was able to do that. Did you know he is diclonius?"

The girl nodded grimly. "Everyone on this ship knows it. It's unconscionable what he did to you. Believe me; I know what it's like to be violated. I was repeatedly raped before my vectors first emerged. If it weren't for Akira Nariko, I would've ended up like many of those who are imprisoned at the Institute." She put her arm around Suko and rocked her gently. "I'm here for you, Miss Arakawa. Kakuzawa will pay for what he did to you. I promise."

Suko heard the icy vengeance rising in the girl's voice and felt a smile creep across her lips. "You'd do that for me?"

"It's already done," the girl answered coldly in a tone that sent chills down Suko's spine.

"What's your name?" Suko asked.

"Sen Osabi," the girl replied. "...and I promise, I'll help you get through this."

"Thank you," Suko murmured, hugging Sen. Suddenly, a dull roar echoed through the ship as it shook violently, nearly throwing Sen and Suko to the floor. The klaxon began blaring and the intercom snapped on.

"Red alert…all hands to battle stations!" the captain's voice boomed through the speaker.

The ship rumbled and pitched, shaking violently. "I have to go," Sen said urgently. "You stay here. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Sen rose and Suko latched onto her arm, pleading, "Don't go! I'm scared!"

"It'll be all right, Miss Arakawa. Trust me."

Suko let go of Sen as she stepped toward the door. Upon reaching the door, it opened, revealing Doctor Horace Ravenclaw standing there. "Doctor…what's happening?" Sen asked.

Speaking directly to Suko, he said, "You should dress quickly, Miss Arakawa, and stay close to Sen. We are under attack."

"Under attack…by whom?" Suko and Sen asked simultaneously.

"We don't know. All we know is the Chimera is out there and so is the Japanese Navy. That last blast was from a depth charge dropped by the Navy."

Sen cursed. "What's the Chimera doing here?"

"I suspect the same thing we are…trying to get away. The Navy is attacking both of us as I speak. The Captain will explain the situation once you get to the bridge. He wants you close by in case things get hairy. Now get dressed…quickly now. Sen, wait for her."

"Yes sir," she replied with a salute.

"I have to go. We're already taking casualties." With that, Doctor Ravenclaw rushed away.

"Well, you heard the doctor…get dressed. I'll wait outside for you," Sen insisted, stepping out and closing the door.

The ship rumbled, pitching as its center of gravity moved from a turn. "Why me? Why does this shit have to happen to me? I wish I never got involved with Professor Kakuzawa," Suko bemoaned as she quickly changed into a spare uniform she'd received upon arriving on the ship. Another explosion rocked the ship, throwing her to the floor.

Sen flung the door open and dragged Suko to her feet. "That blast was close. Come on, Miss Arakawa! We must get to the bridge." With that, they headed to the bridge, Sen leading Suko by the hand.

Minutes later, Sen and Suko reached the bridge. It bristled with activity. Smoke lingered in the air as the captain barked, "Miss Karosuma, come about, heading one-five-zero, depth one hundred meters. Weapons…flood missile tubes one and two and prepare to fire the Pulse missiles on my mark…detonation altitude, fifteen meters. We have to disable the fleet before they destroy us."

"Aye sir," Karosuma and the weapons officer barked in unison. The Kraken shuddered as another depth charge went off just two hundred meters off the starboard side.

"Steady…steady," the captain said sternly.

"Heading one-five-zero, depth one hundred meters," Karosuma announced from the helm.

"Missile tubes one and two flooded and ready to launch," the weapon's officer declared.

"Weapons…fire!" the captain barked. The ship shuddered as two missiles launched in succession. "EMP shielding up!"

"Aye sir," the weapons officer replied.

"Missiles away," Jericho, the first mate, stated. "Detonation in fifteen seconds…ten seconds, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one…zero!"

The electronics flickered, going out for a few seconds before coming back up. "Sonar…report!"

"One moment," the sailor at the sonar station returned. "It worked, captain! The fleet has been disabled by the EMP strike from the missiles…oh shit! Captain, we have two depth charges right on top of us! They must have released it just before the missiles detonated. The first is aft at a depth of eighty meters and closing. The second is to the starboard side near the baffles…depth, seventy-five meters and closing."

"Helm…evasive action! All ahead full! Dive! Dive!" the captain barked.

"Aye sir!" Karosuma answered, pushing down on the helm.

Suko's eyes grew wide as she felt the icy grip of fear crushing her heart. The ship pitched down and to the right. She grabbed on to a handrail. Sen secured her by wrapping her arms around and holding onto the same rail. "Hold on," Sen whispered in her ear.

"First charge, ten meters and closing," the sonar officer reported.

"Hold on, everyone!" the captain shouted. Seconds later, the first charge went off. The noise deafened Suko as control consoles exploded and the ship pitched violently.

"Hull breech in sectors 17!" a voice shouted over the radio.

A second voice quickly added, "Breech in sector 18!"

A third voice shouted through the speakers, "Sector 15 is flooding! Someone help us!"

Then the second charge detonated just three meters off the starboard side. The ship rumbled. The sound of rending metal echoed through the bridge as the ship rolled to the left. Everyone who wasn't strapped into a seat tumbled. Suko and Sen lost their grip on the rail and crashed into the bulkhead, briefly stunning them. All lights and instruments went dead for nearly thirty seconds. Voices muffled dimly in Suko's ears due to the hit. When the back-up power kicked in, a voice blared over the radio.

"Major hull breech in Engineering! Someone get us some help down here right now!"

The captain staggered to the radio and picked it up. Blood ran down the side of his face as he spoke. "Duke…what's happening down there!"

"That last hit did us in. We've a major breech in the hull and the engine room is flooded! It happened so fast several of my people couldn't get out in time."

"Damn it!" cursed the captain. "Were you able to contain the flooding?"

"Yes," Duke replied. "There are also breeches in sectors 17, 18, and 15, too. But they're not nearly as bad as this is and are presently under control."

"What about the engines?" the captain asked.

"I'm sorry, captain. The engines took it right in the brainpan. The shrapnel from the breech shredded the engine before Engineering flooded. I'm afraid we're not going anywhere."

"God damn it!" bellowed the captain. "Okay, Duke…do what you can to stabilize our position from auxiliary control."

"Yes sir," Duke returned.

Turning to his bridge crew, he barked, "Damage report, everyone."

"Just a moment, captain," Jericho replied as he coordinated the reports coming in.

The captain's gaze fell upon Sen and Suko. His face fell, seeing Sen holding Suko and applying pressure to her head just above the temple. Blood trickled down the side of Suko's face. He quickly darted over and squatted down asking, "Are you all right?"

"She's stunned, sir," Sen answered. "She took a nasty hit to the head when the ship lurched with that last blast. But she'll be all right."

Suko moaned and opened her eyes, seeing the captain. "What happened?"

"Are you all right, Miss Arakawa?" the captain asked.

Her head throbbed as she felt someone holding pressure against her head. "I guess so. Damn, my head hurts!"

"You hit it pretty hard when the ship lurched from that last depth charge," the captain stated. "You're lucky Sen was here to help you."

Suko looked up at Sen and saw her nod with a humble smile decorating her lips. "Thank you."

"Captain," Jericho called out.

The captain rose, saying to Suko, "You're going to be all right, Miss Arakawa. Stick close to Sen. She'll help you. Now, I've others who need my attention." Suko nodded as he turned to Jericho. "Okay, number one…let's have it."

"We took a bad hit," Jericho stated. "But it could have been worse. We owe our lives to Miss Karosuma. Her expert driving kept the depth charges from making direct contact with us." She nodded with a sigh as he continued. "We're presently running on the backup batteries right now, captain. There are breeches in the hull in Sectors 18, 17, 15, and in main Engineering. Bulkhead protocols engaged the moment the breeches occurred, sealing off those sections. Unfortunately, we lost almost a third of our crew when the bulkheads sealed. But on the bright side, we're not taking on any more water. The bulkheads are holding for now. However, the damage is extensive and it may have weakened adjacent areas. I can't tell you if those areas will breech or not. Main power is out and we've no way to move or even to surface. Almost all our instruments are out so we can't see what's going on around us and the helm is not functioning. We're basically dead in the water. The only thing that seems to be still working is the radio. But we don't know how much longer it will hold out."

"Sir…I'm getting a coded message from the Chimera over a low frequency channel. They want to speak with you, sir," the communications officer announced.

"Put him on," the captain ordered.

The sailor flipped a switch. "You're on, sir."

"This is the Kraken. Identify yourself," the captain demanded.

Static reigned for a few moments. Then a voice echoed from the speaker. "This is Commander Fargo of the Chimera. We have monitored your situation and stand ready to assist. Whether you realize it or not, we too were under attack by the same forces that attacked your ship. Using your EMP missiles to disable the fleet was a masterful stroke. It disabled the ships who were attacking us as well. But we have precious little time before they repair the damage you did and they come after us again. I suggest we pool our resources and escape them before they can kill us all. What do you say, Commander?"

"Is there any chance we can salvage the ship?" the captain whispered to Jericho.

He shook his head. "I don't think so. The damage is too extensive. It'll take weeks in dry dock to repair this damage. Besides, I noticed while the attack was going on that the surface ships were attacking the Chimera as vigorously as they were us. Something sinister is going on here. I don't think we have much choice if we expect to live through this. We need them, even though they are SHIVA."

"I believe you're right," the captain whispered. "Chimera…are you still there?"

"Yes, Kraken. We're still here. In fact, we are just two hundred meters off your starboard beam and can clearly see the damage to your starboard baffles. There's a huge rip where it used to be."

"What is your mission, Chimera?" the captain asked.

"What do you mean?" Fargo asked.

"Don't play dumb with me, Fargo. What are your intentions towards the Queen?"

"The same as you, my old friend…to find and secure her and her friends until she can decide our fates. It seems that both my people and yours have turned against the Queen and us. You're going to have to trust me on this. The fact is you have no alternative if you wish to live."

"You're right, Chimera. We have no choice because we have vital intelligence concerning Kakuzawa. Please proceed with your rescue protocols."

"Will do, Kraken. We'll approach on the port side and link up to your airlock," Fargo said.

"We'll be waiting," the captain replied. "Open the channel to all decks," he told the sailor, who flipped another switch. He picked up the microphone and cleared his throat.

"Sailors of the Kraken…you have served this ship and me with distinction. But we now find ourselves in a grave predicament. Forces hostile to our mission have located and damaged our ship beyond repair. But fate has smiled on us in our tragedy. Our sister ship, the Chimera, will be linking up in a few minutes to assist us. All hands…prepare to abandon ship! When everyone is safely aboard the Chimera, I will scuttle the ship. Captain out." He hung up the microphone, turning to Jericho. "I shall go and meet them at the airlock. Coordinate from here and prepare the self-destruct."

"Aye sir," Jericho replied with a salute.

Turning to Suko, he said, "I sincerely apologize for this, Miss Arakawa. Would you come with me? We need to get you off this ship as quickly as possible."

"Okay," Suko murmured in a daze as Sen helped her stand.

"Sen…accompany Miss Arakawa and don't let her out of your sight," the captain ordered.

"Aye, sir," Sen answered smartly. With that, they followed the captain off the bridge. They stopped briefly at the captain's quarters. The ship groaned and rattled as Suko and Sen waited for him. He came out and handed Suko a disk. "Miss Arakawa, I believe this belongs to you. It was with you when your first came aboard. It's the file on Lazarus that you retrieved from the Institute. Guard it carefully for this information has the power to destroy Kakuzawa and his operation forever."

She took the disk with a numbed expression. "What do I do with it?" she asked while pocketing the disk.

"You must get it to Akira Nariko. He'll know what to do with it," the captain replied. "Now let's go." With that, they headed for the main airlock.

Suko felt detached, like she was caught in a nightmare that she couldn't wake from. As they stood outside the airlock, she heard a bang from the door. Half a dozen sailors stood with the captain, weapons trained on the door as the banging continued. It spelled out 'Open the door' in Morris Code.

"Open the door," the captain commanded. Three sailors grabbed onto the mechanical latch on the door and started to turn it. Groans and curses followed as they strained on the mechanism. It slowly gave way and the door began to hiss. Suko hid behind Sen and the captain as the sailors turned the handle with increasing ease. Suddenly, the door whooshed and rolled open. On the other side, they heard the grunts of sailors pushing on the door.

When the door was completely open, Captain Fargo stepped to the threshold. "Permission to come aboard, Commander Guildo?" Suko immediately noticed the pink hair and cat-ear horns on Fargo's head and wondered if things could get any more bizarre.

"Permission granted," the captain said with a smile. Then to the sailors, he barked, "Stand down." The sailors lowered their guns as Guildo smiled at Fargo. "Been a long time, Fargo."

"It has," Fargo agreed, stepping forward and shaking the captain's hand. Just then, the ship banged loudly and shook.

Guildo's face fell. "Shit! The hull has breeched again. Fargo, take Miss Arakawa and Sen Osabi aboard your ship right now."

"You got it, Commander," Fargo stated. He motioned for Suko and Sen to go, saying, "Quickly, ladies. We don't have much time."

"Protect Miss Arakawa, Sen. That's my final order for you," Guildo said.

"Yes sir," Sen said as one of Fargo's crew led her and Suko aboard the Chimera.

Suko looked back, seeing Fargo and Guildo rushing off. A chill raced down her spine. Dr. Quang Le, Intelligence Officer Elle Eldrich, and Security Chief Phillip Zubriar met her and Sen as they set foot upon the Chimera.

"Welcome aboard the Chimera, Miss Arakawa…Miss Osabi," Phillip said with a smile. "Please, go with the Doctor and Elle to sick bay so he can check you over."

"What about the others?" Suko asked.

"Don't worry…we'll save as many of your friends as we can," Phillip declared. "Now please go. You'll just be in the way here."

"Come, Miss Arakawa…this way. I should take a look at that bump you have," Dr. Le said calmly. Suko and Sen followed the Doctor and Elle to sickbay where he treated their bumps and bruises. After treating them, Elle escorted them to the officer's lounge. A large window in the bulkhead allowed them to see outside the sub.

"We should stay here for now. It's safe here," Elle said. They looked out into the deep, seeing the lights from the Chimera illuminating the Kraken's hull. The damage was extensive and bubbles were rising from the breeches.

"I hope everyone gets off," Suko murmured, feeling the bandage around her head as it throbbed painfully. The Chimera jerked and shuddered as an explosion of bubbles rose from the front of the Kraken. Seconds later, Suko watched in horror as the Kraken slowly drifted away. "No!" she cried, going to the window and pressing her hands against it. "All those people…the Captain, Dr. Ravenclaw!"

She felt her heart sink into the abyss as the Kraken disappeared into the darkness of the deep. Tears rose as she fell to her knees. Sen and Elle stepped toward her when the door to the lounge opened. All eyes turned to the door. Captain Fargo entered, followed by Captain Guildo, Jericho, Dr. Ravenclaw, Miss Karosuma, and Tsang. They had grim looks plastered on their faces. Suko saw Dr. Ravenclaw and broke down in relief. Sen comforted her as they gathered around. She looked up, seeing those familiar faces. "Thank god you're all right! How many were you able to save?"

"About a third the crew," Guildo answered grimly. "The rest were killed when the hull breeched that last time. We couldn't save them. But they didn't die in vain." Just then, a flash appeared out the window in the darkness of the deep.

Fargo touched a control panel and a bulkhead door sealed the window. He then touched the radio switch, barking, "All hands…prepare for impact!" He motioned for them to get down as he dropped to the floor. "Get down and hold on…this is going to be rough." Seconds later, the Chimera groaned and pitched violently for a few seconds before stabilizing. Fargo rose and pushed the intercom button. "Damage report!"

"No damage, captain. Just some bumps and bruises, but nothing serious. All systems are five-by-five. The shielding seems to have worked," the first mate reported.

"Good…now get us out of here, Chris. Best speed to Tsukumi," Fargo ordered.

"Aye sir," Chris answered through the intercom.

"Now then, captain…we need to talk," Fargo said as everyone stood.

"Indeed we do," Guildo replied.

Suko looked at them and wondered what was going on. She felt like a leaf driven in a tempest. Without realizing it, she abruptly blurted out, "Could someone please tell me what the hell is really going on here?"

Fargo and Guildo looked at each other for a moment. "That's what we're going to talk about, Miss Arakawa," Fargo answered. "Please, have a seat and we'll try to explain the best we can. I'll start by explaining why we came to your assistance."

"I'm listening," Suko said, sitting down with Sen.

"So am I," Guildo agreed, crossing his arms as he sat.

* * *

Back at the Institute, deep within the main computer, the counter ticked down to 36:00:00 on the program download from the disk with Kakuzawa's dismemberment animation on it. The program began infiltrating the security systems, corrupting them, causing the fail-safes on the diclonius cells to crash.

* * *

At the same time, Kakuzawa stood in the control room outside of Sixty-six's cell. A technician sat at the control console, operating it as Kakuzawa looked at the video feed of Sixty-six, scowling. "Sixty-six…can you hear me?"

"Of course I can hear you, half-breed," Sixty-six hissed, looking up into the camera through his helmet. "What do you want?"

"Your time is up. What have you decided?" Kakuzawa demanded.

"I've decided that you're a half-breed son of a bitch who isn't fit to live, much less lead our kind."

"I didn't come here to be insulted by you," Kakuzawa retorted.

"Oh come now, Mr. Director. If you can't take a few insults, then how do you expect to lead the diclonius into a new golden age? Let me show you something new that I've learned since I woke up. It's something that I think you'll find very interesting."

"What do you mean?" Kakuzawa asked.

Suddenly, he found himself completely paralyzed. Even his breath was taken from him. Panic set in as he wanted to cry out but couldn't. An evil chuckle rose from Sixty-six. As he was about to suffocate, the paralyzing force released him. Collapsing to the floor, Kakuzawa gasped for breath. "You see, I can kill you from here if I so choose, you worthless half-breed scum," Sixty-six crowed.

"God damn you!" Kakuzawa wheezed. "You'll pay for that! Kill him, doctor!"

The technician at the control panel refused to respond. He merely sat there, staring out the window.

"Kill him now!" Kakuzawa raged, pushing himself to his feet.

"I don't think he can hear you," Sixty-Six said with a chuckle.

When Kakuzawa touched the man, his head rolled off and his arms fell to the floor. Blood gushed from the wounds, soaking the Director and the control console.

"Son of a bitch!" Kakuzawa cursed. Sixty-six laughed maniacally.

"You should have never woke me up. Now I'll show you exactly what I'm capable of."

The Director lunged for the detonator button on the console, only to be thrown back by a force that wrapped around his neck, lifting him off the floor. In an instant, he realized that a vector had snared him. Yet it didn't kill him. It merely strangled him enough to keep him under control. Laughter echoed through the control booth.

"So, half-breed, what do you say now?" Sixty-six crowed in triumph. "I have you now. Who is going to kill whom here?" The panel suddenly exploded, shorting out all the fail-safes on Sixty-six's cell.

The sounds of machine gun fire and the shrieks of the dying reached Kakuzawa's ears. "Let me show you something, Mr. Director," Sixty-six hissed, using his vectors switch the video feed to cells and halls of the Institute. It showed the diclonius prisoners breaking out of their cells and brutally ripping apart any human they crossed. Kakuzawa's heart and mind fell into an abyss of despair as he realized his whole operation was crashing down around his ears. Sixty-six sensed this and said, "You finally understand that your own arrogance has caused you this destruction. Now watch as I free myself."

Kakuzawa flew head first through the reinforced plate glass window of the control booth, pulled by Sixty-six's vector. He fell thirty feet to the floor inside the cell. Loud snaps heralded the breaking both legs and one arm when he landed. His head and arms bled profusely from the severe lacerations caused by him crashing through the control room window. A moan escaped his lips. Without warning, he felt a vector brutally snatch him by the neck and throw him across the room. He slammed against the wall, feeling his spine crackle and all his wind escape his body. As he slid down the wall, Sixty-six wrapped a single vector around Kakuzawa's neck and pinned him against the wall seven feet off the floor. Kakuzawa wavered in and out of consciousness.

"Don't die yet, half-breed," Sixty-six hissed, smacking him with another vector to keep him aware. "I'm not done with you." Slowly, Kakuzawa came to with a gurgle. "Good…now watch as I show you the true power of the diclonius race," Sixty-six crowed.

Metal began twisting and ripping apart from inside the central vault housing Sixty-six. Seconds later, the vault itself ballooned, ripping open and Sixty-six emerged, floating on his vectors with a demoniac smile on his face that stretched from ear to ear. His blood red eyes glowed same as a demon's eyes filled with bloodlust. Gliding up to Kakuzawa like a ghost, he looked into his face and cackled with glee. Sixty-six raised his hand and opened it, revealing three small explosive charges. When Kakuzawa saw the charges covered with blood, he went ashened. "Now who is in charge, half-breed? It wasn't easy to remove these. But I'm sure you knew that."

With a flick of Sixty-six's vector, Kakuzawa sailed to the central vault, crashing against it with a cry as the impact shattered his lower spine. Sixty-six jumped, landing in front of him leaving four handprints in the concrete. Picking up the director with his vectors, he pulled him nose to nose. "Payback's a bitch, isn't it? Here, let me help you with these." The three charges floated in his vectors. "Let's see how you like being mined." Within two seconds, he implanted the explosives in Kakuzawa…one in his shoulder, one in his leg and one right next to his heart while he was still awake. Kakuzawa screamed in agony as he felt the charges push into his flesh. Blood dribbled from the wounds. He wavered and Sixty-six said, "No…you can't die yet. I'm not going to let you. I have plans for you." In a flash, Sixty-six stabilized his condition with his vectors, repairing the damage implanting the mines did to him.

Kakuzawa hung limply from Sixty-six's vectors and rasped, "Go on and kill me, monster." With that, he spat blood in his killer's face.

A mocking laugh rose from Sixty-six as he wiped the blood from his face and tasted it. "Surely you jest, Mr. Director. I'm not going to kill you…yet. I'm going to make you suffer as you've made every diclonius in this place suffer…as you made Lucy suffer when she was here. In fact, I'm going to let them take care of you. Come…they're waiting." Sixty-six suddenly jumped through the control room window with Kakuzawa. Minutes later, he stood outside the building on the heliport. Thirty diclonius stood in a circle around a huge pile of dismembered human corpses. Heavy rain poured from the sky, causing the blood to overflow the gutters. Sixty-six paused, relishing the refreshing coolness of the rain. Then he slid into their midst and shouted, "My fellow prisoners…here is the cause of your pain at this place. Let's teach him the meaning of pain!" With that, he threw Kakuzawa into the center of the circle.

"You'll never get away with this, Sixty-six!" Kakuzawa croaked, blood oozing from the deep cuts on his face. "You'll never get your hands on Lucy…never!"

Sixty-six's face flushed with fury. "My name is Yoshitora, not Sixty-six, you half-breed son of a bitch. Sayonara, Mr. Director. Give my regards to oblivion." Turning to his cohorts, he ordered, "Rip him into tiny pieces and leave the head for me." The diclonii surrounding Kakuzawa advanced. He floated into the air on their vectors. Sixty-six glided away on his vectors as the other diclonius literally stripped the flesh from Kakuzawa's bones a fist-full at a time. He screamed as they slowly ripped the muscles from his bones, sending the flesh flying and blood spewing.

Suddenly, the explosives Sixty-six implanted in Kakuzawa went off. The blast threw Sixty-six against the side of the building. When he came to, pieces of those diclonius who were killing Kakuzawa rained down around him. A sinister smile crossed his lips as he saw not a single one survived the blast. An eerie wail rose from nowhere and Sixty-six flinched as a strange glowing mist encircled him. His body suddenly felt as if it was on fire on the inside and the outside was freezing. He curled into a fetal ball as the essences of thirty diclonius along with their furies merged with him. Seconds later, a scream rose from him, followed by a concussive blast that demolishing the first floor of the Institute in that area. When he opened his eyes, he felt thirty times stronger and much closer to Lucy than ever before. His eyes glowed crimson as his bloodlust and Fury rose to a scale he'd never experienced before.

Rising to his feet, he groaned and staggered for a moment while acclimatizing to his new found power. "I'll be damned! It worked! The stupid fools set off the explosives I put in Kakuzawa, just like I planned! Now I have their power and Lucy will have no choice but to submit to me."

"Of course it worked," the King crowed to Sixty-six inside his mind. "I told you it would. Now we have work to do."

"Right," Sixty-six answered coldly. "Lucy will not escape me now. She will be mine and that human will die for what he's done to her." He scanned the scene and saw Kakuzawa's charred head lying a few feet away. A wicked grin crossed his face as he picked the head up with his vectors and brought it close to look it in the face. "You loose, half-breed." With that, he crushed the head like a ripe melon and headed back into the building.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: The symphony of blood has commenced! The Kraken has fallen and the Chimera rescues the remnants of her crew. But is anyone safe now that Sixty-six has taken control of the Institute? We shall see. I hope you liked the twists here and as always, reviews are always welcome. When reviewing, be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	14. Chapter 14 Kohta and the Collective

Chapter 14

Kohta and the Collective

Kohta awoke lying on his back in a warm, gray void wearing only a pair of shorts. "Ugh…what happened? Where am I?" A chill raced down his spine when he saw absolutely nothing. His right shoulder and chest tingled, causing him to touch it. A gasp escaped his lips as he looked down at the large scar there. He slowly sat up with a groan, discovering he was pain-free. "What the…I'm okay!" A dim flash pulsed through the gray void, causing him to look around. His heart skipped a beat when he realized he didn't know where he was. In all directions, only the featureless gray background greeted him. Almost all sense of distance and direction eluded him. Only his sense of up and down remained due to the solid surface he sat on. Yet just ten feet away in all directions, the ground and sky appeared to blend into a never-ending void. Fear chilled his bones as he struggled to his feet.

"Hello…is anyone here?" The void pulsed again, followed by a distant rumble as if to answer him. "Hello…anyone?" Kohta's countenance fell as he realized he was utterly alone. Slowly, he began walking…the bubble of coherence following him as he walked. It reminded him of being lost in a fog where time had no meaning. The void flashed sporadically, rumbling like a distant thunderstorm. After trudging along for what seemed to be an eternity, he stopped and looked around. "Hello! Is anyone here?"

"Keep going, Kohta," a voice whispered in his ear. "Straight ahead…you're close. Don't give up."

Kohta wheeled around, finding no one. Suddenly, his blood started burning like liquid fire within him. A scream erupted from his toes as he collapsed…tears pouring from his eyes. He curled into a fetal ball from the excruciating pain that seemed to extend to every cell of his body. "Someone…please help!" he moaned, unable to move and about to pass out. Seconds later, darkness swallowed him.

When he came to, he saw a blurry form hovering over him. "Are you all right?" the figure asked.

"I don't know," Kohta replied as his vision cleared. Again, he found himself in the warm gray void. However, he was no longer in pain or alone. A nude diclonius that looked exactly like Lucy knelt next him…hovering over him. Blush crawled over his face as he asked, "Lucy…what are you doing here?"

"I'm not Lucy," the girl stated, helping him sit up.

Kohta looked into her eyes, seeing a burning white flame that seemed to encompass all of creation…giving life to the universe. Planets, stars, entire galaxies greeted his vision as he stared into her eyes. It reminded him of looking into a kaleidoscope. He was powerless to break free of it. It enchanted him as a feeling of warmth and life emanated from her.

"Who are you?" he whispered in awe.

"You may call me Izanami. I am the First," she said. "All diclonius originate with me. I was fortunate that I found you before the Fury did. If it had, you would have died for it hates humans."

"Where am I?"

"You're in my domain within the Diclonius Collective," Izanami declared. "You're the first human to ever see it." Kohta instantly remembered what Jin told him about the Collective.

"The Collective? You mean that story Jin told us is real?"

"Yes, Kohta. I'm afraid it is. You're here because of Lucy's blood. By receiving her blood, you've received a portion of her piece of me, allowing you access to us."

"How'd you know my name?"

"I know you because Lucy knows you," Izanami replied.

"What's going to happen to me? Am I going to become a diclonius?"

Izanami smiled, touching his cheek with her hand. "Never fear, Kohta. You will not die yet. There is still much for you and Lucy to do. The fates of both species lie with you and her. But you must be careful. By taking her blood, you've inherited not just her power, but her Fury as well. The Fury must be defeated for us to survive as a species. Before this is over, you will have to become one with Lucy and her shattered personality and come here to confront the Fury. It has chosen one particular diclonius as its agent of destruction. He is called the King and you have met him before."

Kohta's face paled. "You mean that monster that attacked us in the dream is real?"

"Yes…he's very real and is making his move now. He is enhancing his power by killing and merging with every diclonius he can find so he can merge with Lucy and bring about the extinction of all life. This cannot be allowed to happen. You must protect Lucy from him. It will take both of you to stop him before he can upset the balance any further. If you don't, life on this planet is doomed. Now go and learn the way of the diclonius from Lucy and Akira. He is my First General. He will teach you our way of battle. Go." Izanami gently touched Kohta's chest and darkness instantly engulfed him, accompanied by a sensation of falling.

When he came to, he found himself lying on a featureless plain. A groan escaped his lips as he sat up. When he did, he saw the great sphere of the Collective lying before him. "Oh my god!" he whispered. "Jin was right! Or I'm going crazy because that looks exactly like what he described."

"Mr. Kohta," a voice called out. Kohta turned, seeing Akira standing there with a grim smile.

"Akira…where am I? Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes…we're standing on the plane of the diclonius consciousness and that is the Collective. It's how we're connected to the Collective and to each other."

"What's happening to me? Why am I here since I'm just a human?"

"I was afraid of this," Akira stated as he helped Kohta up. "You are no longer just a human, Kohta. Lucy's blood is slowly changing you. It's causing you to evolve."

"Into what?"

"I don't know. But I saw you emerge from the Collective. No one ever comes out of the Collective. Somehow, you got in and then came out. Only the true Queen and King can do that, as far as I know. Did you see her?" Akira asked.

"See who?" Kohta asked

"Her…the First One, the one who looks like Lucy."

"I'm not sure. I vaguely remember seeing someone who looked like Lucy, but wasn't her. She called herself Izanami and had the strangest eyes I've ever seen. I don't even know if I can describe it. It was like she held the entire universe inside her eyes. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and it gave me the distinct impression that she's way stronger than Lucy is. She also said she was the first and that all diclonius came from her. But strange as it sounds, I wasn't afraid of her."

"What else did she say?"

"I asked her if I was going to become a diclonius and she didn't answer. But she did say that by taking Lucy's blood, I took a piece of her piece of the Collective, which allowed me to get in. She also said that it's up to me and Lucy to stop this King and to let you teach me about the way diclonius live and fight. She then touched me and I ended up here. I don't even know how I got here."

Akira's smile grew broader. "I knew it. You're the key to everything. You're the one who will make peace between the humans and us. That must be why she drew you into the Collective and then sent you out. She was preparing you for what's to come."

"But I don't want to be a key to anything. I just want to be with Lucy and make her happy."

"And so you shall. But you have forgotten an important point."

"What's that?" Kohta asked.

"You've always wanted to be able to protect Lucy and your family. Now you will have the ability to do so."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. But you must treasure and protect your humanity and not let the Fury poison you. Look there." Akira pointed to the Collective. "Do you see the white and black clouds churning and battling for supremacy?" Kohta nodded as Akira continued. "The dark clouds are the Fury while the white clouds are the good side where you met Izanami. I'm so humbled that she revealed her name to you. She has never revealed her name to anyone…not even me. But the point is that she and the good side of the Collective are loosing ground to the Fury. Something has happened within the last few hours that has energized the Fury. I suspect the King is involved with it. If we don't do something, it will swallow Izanami and humanity will be doomed to extinction. The Fury exists solely to extinguish all life, especially Izanami's life."

Kohta stood there, stunned beyond words. After a few moments, he murmured, "So what makes me different from you?"

"I don't know. You may possibly become like Kagami…a hybrid. But I'm not so sure. She was born that way. You, on the other hand, have received a piece of the Collective from the Queen herself through her blood. I don't know what to tell you. All I can do is speculate. I suspect you and Lucy may be the beginning of a new species…one that is as far above the diclonius as we are above humans. We'll just have to wait and see."

Kohta nodded, suddenly noticing hundreds of diclonius approaching the Collective…paying him and Akira no mind. "What are they doing?"

"They're seeking to enter the Collective," Akira said. "But they will not survive contact with it. If you will notice, most are your age or younger. Izanami's side of the Collective will repel them because they are not ready to enter. But the Fury will consume them if they touch it where it is active. Look there in the darkest part where the Fury is the strongest. Do you see that diclonius girl there?" Kohta nodded, fear gripping his soul. "If she touches it, she's done for." They watched and Akira murmured, "Please don't touch it. Don't do it, girl…Damn it!" The girl touched the Fury and its black tendrils instantly snared her, shattered her limbs, and pulled her into the Collective. Her scream echoed over the plain as she turned to dust while being pulled in. Her face became a ghostly image on the side of the Collective, slowly fading away.

Kohta stared, tears streaming as he instantly understood the threat posed by the Fury. "You understand now, don't you?" Akira asked.

"I think so. It'll do that to everyone it touches, right?"

"Yes, Kohta. It will."

"But how do we fight such a thing?" Kohta asked.

"Only Lucy and you together can defeat that scourge. Remember what you see here and only approach the Collective where the white clouds dominate. I would suggest though that you not approach it at all unless Lucy is with you."

Kohta suddenly felt dizzy and dropped to his knees. "What's happening? Why am I so dizzy all of a sudden?"

"You're being drawn away from this plane," Akira explained. "It's a natural for everyone to experience that when leaving here, so don't be alarmed. Just think of going home and you will return to your body."

Kohta suddenly thought of Yuka. "What happens if I think of someone else?"

"Don't do that," Akira said severely. "You'll enter their mind and might not be able to return. Who are you thinking of?"

Kohta began fading away, saying, "Yuka." With that, he vanished from the plane of the Diclonius.

"Damn it…I'd better follow him. He's way too inexperienced to be doing this right now," Akira mumbled, following Kohta out of the Diclonius plane.

Kohta found himself standing in a dark theater. A movie was playing and only one person was sitting in the seats…Yuka. On the big screen, everything in Yuka's life played in an endless loop. Kohta stared at the screen and suddenly realized what he was seeing. The movie was showing the fight between him and her just before she was gunned down in the gate of Kaeda house. Kohta felt a knife of grief turn in him. Tears streamed down his cheeks while soft sobs echoed from Yuka.

He walked slowly down to her seat and looked. A gasp escaped his lips and his face turned red upon seeing Yuka completely nude in heavy steel restraints. Her arms and legs were clamped down to the seat with a large steel restraint around her chest. The bullet holes from the attack continually oozed blood that dripped onto the floor. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched the screen, soft sobs bubbling up.

"Yuka," he called out softly. She didn't respond…merely stared at the screen, sobbing while she was gunned down on the screen. He sat down next to her and touched her hand while examining the restraints. There appeared to be no way to release them. "Yuka…can you hear me?" he asked, touching her shoulder and gently shaking her. She remained oblivious to his presence.

An icy chill raced down his spine as fear settled into his heart. "Yuka! Wake up, Yuka!" he begged. "I'm going to get you out of this." He began pulling on the clamp around her forearm. "Come on, damn it…open!" When it refused to give, his heart broke. "I can't get you loose. What am I going to do? I can't leave you like this! I'm not going to leave you here." Tears streamed down his cheeks as he embraced her, smearing her blood on his chest and arms. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. Please come back to me, Yuka!" He placed his palms on the sides of her head, turning her face to him. Touching his forehead to hers, he wept and his tears dripped on her cheeks. "I'm so sorry for everything! Can you ever forgive me?"

Her sobs suddenly quieted. "K…o…h…t…a," she moaned softly. He opened his eyes and found her staring into his eyes with a pleading look. "Help me, Kohta," she whispered slowly, her tone filled with desperation. The spark of recognition he saw in her eyes abruptly faded away and she went catatonic again.

"Yuka…Yuka! Don't go, Yuka!" Kohta cried.

"There's nothing you can do for her right now," a familiar voice called out. Kohta looked up, seeing Akira standing at the far end of the row of seats, walking toward him and Yuka.

"Akira…what are you doing here?" Kohta asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I followed to make sure you didn't get lost on your way back to your body."

"What do you mean? I don't understand," Kohta replied.

"You don't seem to understand what's happening to you. I tried to explain it to you when we were on the diclonius plane near the Collective. Kohta…this is happening because of Lucy's blood. I'm sure of it. It's already starting to change you. It allowed you to enter the Collective and to see the plane of our consciousness. But it's also allowing you to traverse the world of human consciousness as well. Do you have any idea where we are now?"

"No. All I know is Yuka is sitting here tied down, forced to watch events from her life and she cannot get away from it. What does it mean?"

"Kohta, you're inside Yuka's mind," Akira declared. "When you left the diclonius plane, I told you in order to return to your body, you had to concentrate on returning home. But just before you left, you said you were thinking of Yuka. That brought you here to her mind."

"I'm inside Yuka's mind? How? What the hell is going on?"

"It seems Lucy's blood is activating your telepathic potential. Kagami has a similar type of telepathy. But yours is different. It allowed you to enter Yuka's mind because of your love and concern for her."

"You're kidding," Kohta balked.

"I'm afraid not," Akira answered. "Also, I don't think you realize that you too are in a coma, like Yuka. But because of the changes taking place to you, you're not imprisoned like she is."

"I'm in a coma?" Kohta asked, so flabbergasted that he couldn't believe it.

"Yes," Akira stated. "You have been in a coma since you received Lucy's blood four days ago. As of now, you're lying in a bed at my sanctuary. I'm here now because I am using my vectors to communicate with you. What you're seeing is my avatar…the form I use when traversing the planes of existence and the mind. I'm here to make sure you wake up. That's why I followed you here. Until you return to your own body, you will remain in a coma."

"You mean I won't wake up unless I find my body?"

"Yes," Akira replied. "It's imperative that you return to your body quickly. The longer you remain away from it, the closer you come to dying. The body cannot live without the mind."

"What about Yuka? I can't just leave her like this. She pleaded for my help."

"You have to…for the moment. You're incapable of helping her right now. Do you see these restraints locking her in? That's what's keeping her in her coma. She cannot wake up until she's free of those restraints and can leave of this theater. This theater is a trap created by her mind because of everything that has happened. She was unable to deal with it, and as a result, she's a prisoner here."

Kohta caressed Yuka's cheek with his hand as she looked blankly at the screen. "How do I help her, Akira?"

Akira inspected the restraints, and then said, "When you're ready, you will return here with Lucy and smash these restraints, freeing her. Only together with Lucy and her other personalities will you be able to heal the damage that has occurred to Yuka. You've already started to break the restraints. The fact that she recognized you and asked for help is a good sign. She hasn't given up on you and is trying to escape. Come now; let's go before we are ensnared in this place too."

"What do you mean?"

"Intruding into someone else's mind is a risky business. If we stay too long, we may loose our identities here and not be able to leave, becoming a torment for her. If you ever loose yourself in her mind, Kohta, you'll never return to your body and you'll die."

Kohta swallowed hard, fear coursing through every piece of his being because of Akira's words. "Okay," Kohta whispered. "We'll go. I don't want to cause her any more harm than I already have."

"Good," Akira said.

Kohta leaned over, looking Yuka in the eye. "Forgive me, Yuka. I will come back for you. Somehow, we will get you out of here." With that, he kissed her gently on the cheek. "I will be back. Just hold on."

"Think of your body, Kohta," Akira insisted as Kohta stood up.

Before Kohta could form a coherent thought about his body, everything vanished in a flash of light and he found himself floating in a warm darkness. Everything he experienced until now abruptly vanished from his conscious mind as the darkness slowly lightened. Muffled voices echoed in his ears. The voices became clear and he moaned, cracking his eyes open. Everything was blurry as a familiar voice spoke to him.

"Kohta…Kohta, can you hear me?" the voice called out.

He moaned again and stirred. "Who's there?"

"It's Myra, Kohta."

Blinking several times, his vision cleared. Myra leaned over him with a pleasant smile as she sponged his forehead. Mayu and Nana stood off to the side and Kagami sat opposite of them with a smile. He suddenly felt a hand touching his left hand. He turned his head to the left, seeing Lucy sitting in a chair next to his bed, holding his hand. "Welcome back, Kohta," Lucy murmured, leaning close with a relieved smile.

"Lucy…" Kohta whispered, blinking slowly. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, Kohta. I'm all right, just weak. How about you?"

As Myra checked his vitals, Kohta answered, "I don't know. I feel really strange and very weak. Where's Akira?"

"He's not here," Myra said. "He went into town for some supplies a few minutes ago. But he'll be back shortly."

"How long has it been?" Kohta whispered.

"Four days," Mayu answered, kneeling beside the bed and holding his right hand. "You really scared me and Nana. We thought you were going to die." Tears of relief streamed down her cheeks.

Kohta squeezed her hand. "Well, I guess I might have if Lucy hadn't given me her blood. Thank you, Lucy."

Lucy leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips. "You're welcome. I'm relieved that it hasn't done anything to you like Akira thought."

Kohta glanced at Nana and, to his surprise, sensed her thoughts. "I'm going to be all right, Nana."

Her mouth dropped open and she rushed in, leaning down to give him a hug. "Thank you for being all right," she cried.

Kohta looked deep into her eyes and smiled. "Don't worry…we'll protect you. I promise."

Nana kissed him on the cheek and stepped away. Kohta looked around at everyone. "Could I be alone with Lucy for a few minutes?"

"Of course," Myra stated. "Come on, girls…let's go." With that, they left the room.

Kohta looked at Lucy and sighed. She looked so beautiful in the loose-fitting gray dress she wore. He stared into her eyes. Suddenly, she gasped as she felt him through her diclonius telepathy. "What's wrong?" he asked. As soon as he spoke, he felt something he'd never experienced before. "What is this?" he breathed. "I can somehow feel you in my head."

"Oh no," Lucy moaned. "Akira was right. My blood is changing you. I can feel you with my diclonius telepathy now!"

Kohta stared at her, astounded. His body tingled from head to toe. Yet the sensation of feeling Lucy inside his head didn't frighten him. A soft smile crossed his lips as he grasped her hand. "It's okay, Lucy. I am not afraid. Even if your blood does change me, I don't think it'll be all bad. At least then I'd be able to help stop the bloodshed."

"Oh Kohta," Lucy whispered, kissing his hand. "I love you so much."

A smile crept across his lips. "I love you, too." He found the strength and lifted his right arm, cupping her cheek and maroon hair. "You have redeemed my family's memory, Lucy. All is forgiven. You no longer have to punish yourself for what you did."

Lucy's eyes grew wide, tears gushing forth. Looking deep into his eyes, seeing and sensing the unalterable truth of his statement, she broke down, holding his hand to her cheek as she wept. "Thank you," was all she could say.

Kohta gently pulled her down on the bed next to him, embracing her. Without realizing it, he began humming the Lilium melody, which quickly quieted Lucy's sobs.

Lucy," he began.

She looked him in the eye and he smiled, tears streaming down his cheeks. "What, Kohta?"

"You are so very beautiful…like a rare flower that blooms only once in its lifetime."

She blushed. "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, Kohta."

"I mean it," he returned. "But I'm kind of confused right now."

A pang of fear pricked Lucy's heart. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Something happened while I was asleep…something really strange that I can't quite remember. I don't know if it was a dream or not. The only thing I remember is it had to do with you helping me do something."

Lucy caressed the side of his head and said, "Don't worry about it. It's probably a side effect of being out for so long."

"Maybe," Kohta stated. "But I have this distinct feeling that it was important." He paused a moment and then asked unexpectedly, "How do you feel about Yuka?"

Lucy backed away a little, taken back by the question. After a few moments, she sighed. "I don't rightly know, Kohta. But I don't want to see her die. I know how much she means to you. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering. At some point, she's going to wake up and I thought it would be nice if we could show her that she really is part of our family. Would you be up to that?"

A sigh escaped Lucy's lips. "For you…yes, Kohta. I'll try to make it work. But I'm not going to tolerate being attacked in any manner, verbally or otherwise."

"That's all I can ask," he replied. "Thank you, Lucy. Maybe by helping her, we can show her that you aren't all that bad. Besides, I know she has a soft spot for Nyu. Maybe we can make use of that."

"I don't know, Kohta. You have no idea how it feels to have three other people inside you vying for control. It's infuriating. I never know when one of them is going to take over, particularly my dark half. I don't want to have three other people wanting to get out any more. But that's the way it is. I'd rather not let them be involved in this if I can help it."

"I see your point," Kohta admitted. "Yuka was very upset that you had multiple personalities. We'll just have to figure something out. But you will try to be nice to her, won't you?"

Lucy cracked a small smile and stroked the side of his face. "For you, Kohta, yes, I will."

A deep sigh escaped his lips. "I'm really sleepy again. Do you mind if I take a nap?"

"Not at all," Lucy chimed, kissing him gently on the lips. "Just don't sleep for the next four days like the last time."

"Deal," he replied with a yawn. He closed his eyes and fell asleep, Lucy's maroon eyes, pink hair, and pleasant smile a ghostly image in his mind as the darkness closed in around him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Kohta is in an interesting position now, isn't he? Lucy's blood is changing him but no one seems to know what he will become. It's allowing him to see and do things only a diclonius can. But will he become a diclonius or will he become a something more…maybe something more powerful and unpredictable than a diclonius? Will he regret the decision he's made when he discovers the true repercussions of his decision to accept Lucy's blood or embrace it? Read on to find out. As always, reviews are welcome. When reviewing, be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	15. Chapter 15 The Call of the King

Chapter 15

The Call of the King

Sixty-six sat on the roof of the ruined Institute, cross-legged with his eyes closed and his hands resting upon his knees. The full moon cast a ghostly glow on him as the cool sea breeze stirred his long hair. Ominous clouds gathered on the horizon to the west, lightning flashing through them. "It is time," the King rumbled within him. "Summon the royals."

"Yes," Sixty-six crowed. "They will lead me to my destiny with Lucy and that human will perish for her desecration of my queen."

"Send the call now!" the King insisted. "Set the annihilation in motion, Yoshitora, and you will have Lucy! Do it!"

Sixty-six's eyes opened abruptly and shouted to the sky, "Come to me, my brothers and sisters, and kill every human in your way. The time of our awakening is at hand! Come to me, all who wish to live free of the pestilent human filth and I will show you true freedom! Come, all diclonius within the range of my thoughts…come and be free! Let the annihilation commence!" His thoughts reached across all of Japan, touching every diclonius in a thousand mile radius of the Institute.

Dimitri and Tanya heard the call as they reached the outskirts of Tokyo. They looked at each other for a moment. Devilish grins crossed their faces as the train they rode entered a tunnel approaching the next station. "Should we?" Tanya asked Dimitri.

"Why not," he cackled. "Let's have some fun." His vectors instantly knocked out the lights in the car. Seconds later, screams erupted from the darkness along with the sound of rending flesh. Minutes later, the train reached the station and automatically coasted to a halt. Blood splattered on the windows of every car and dripped from under every door. The crowds at the station saw it and stared in utter horror.

The security guards instantly saw the blood and rushed forward, forcing the doors open. The head guard stepped into a pool of blood as he entered the first car. Pieces of people lay strewn everywhere with no single body left intact. His face turned ashen as nausea instantly plagued him. "Holy shit…Keep those people back! We have a situation here!" he barked to his colleagues, who immediately formed a line to keep the people back. Pulling his communicator from his belt, he said, "Boss, you'd better get the police and the Self-defense force down here right now! We have a situation." After a pause, he shouted, "What the fuck do you mean? I have trainload of passengers that have been ripped to pieces! I need backup right now! Just do it, god damn it!" He clipped the communicator back on his belt and stepped out onto the platform. "Morons...fuckin' morons!" Looking around at the crowd on the platform, he whistled to get their attention. When they quieted down, he announced, "I am sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but this station is closed as of this moment. This is a crime scene now. I must ask everyone to leave the station for your own safety."

"What do you mean for our own safety?" a voice shouted from the crowd.

"How am I supposed to get home?" another voice cried out. "This is the only way home for me!"

The crowd started to rumble with dissent and anger. "What happened on the train?" yet another voice demanded from the crowd. "Why is there blood everywhere?"

The head guard pulled his pistol and fired a shot into the air. Screams erupted from the crowd as the people ducked. The crowd quieted. "Please, keep calm. This is a very sensitive situation. There has been a murder on the train."

"Who?" called out a woman.

"I don't know who. That's why we have to cordon off this area," he answered, holstering his firearm. "Please…I know this is inconvenient for everyone but we have to be sure this isn't some kind of terrorist attack."

Many of those in the rear of the crowd started heading for the exit. Suddenly, a rumble echoed from the supports and the exit collapsed, crushing twenty people to death and sealing in almost two hundred. Cries of fear echoed from the crowd as they rushed away from the falling debris at the entrance. The lights flickered for several moments before going out. The head security officer instantly realized the situation had gotten much worse. The cries of fear became death screams. The sound of rending flesh and splashing blood filled the station platform. The smell of blood and death assaulted the guard's nostrils as he fumbled for his flashlight. Fear clamped around his heart as the tumult suddenly became a tomblike silence. Sweeping his flashlight around, everywhere he looked, he saw dismembered bodies, just like on the train. "Oh shit!" rolled out of his mouth involuntarily. Seconds later, the backup lights came on, bathing everything in an eerie red glow.

Grabbing his communicator, he barked in it, "Boss…code 186, I repeat, 186. We've a terrorist atta…gahh!" His words came to an abrupt end with his life. In an instant, he felt something similar to a hundred searing knives slicing through his flesh. His head rolled on the floor and he saw his body crumble into apple-size chunks before the darkness of death swallowed him.

Dimitri and Tanya stepped from the shadows, laughing and drenched in the blood of their kills. "Oh that was fun!" Tanya crowed. "How many did we get?"

"I'd say we gutted close to three hundred of these pests between the train and here," Dimitri cackled. "But we mustn't stay here. We need to get to Kamakura."

"How do we get there?" Tanya asked

He merely gestured to the train. "This train goes all the way to Kamakura. We'll make use of it. These trains are completely automated. The conductor is just there in case something goes wrong. What we'll do is hitch a ride and get off before the next station. As much as I'd love to keep killing these pests, we can't establish a pattern that they can use to track us. They may be pests, but they're not stupid. They will try to catch us."

"Sounds like a plan," Tanya stated. "Could we stop somewhere and get some fresh clothes? As much as I love slaughtering these insects, being seen like this in public could arouse suspicion,"

"Good call, Tanya. We'll do that on the way. But we can't dawdle. Whoever this King is, he's extremely powerful to have called out like that. We must be careful in approaching him. He may have an agenda different from ours."

"Yes, Dimitri. He may. I've sensed his power. We must approach him as an enemy. I'm sure he wants Lucy for himself. He cannot be allowed to have her. She belongs to me."

"Of course, Tanya. Come on. Let's get out of here." Dimitri and Tanya walked on the train of blood, closing the doors. The train hummed and then moved out of the station, heading for Kamakura.

Meanwhile at a small inn outside of Taketa, the middle-aged diclonius woman known as Charlie entered a small suite with her duffel, locking the door. She leaned against the door and sighed, scanning the traditional Japanese layout of the room. Several modern conveniences attracted her attention: a television sitting on a dresser, a western-style desk with chair, and a couple of recliners. A large mirror hung on the wall over the desk. Casting her eyes to the left, a traditional Japanese bath greeted her through the open door there. A frown crossed her lips as she dropped her bag. For the next ten minutes, she thoroughly searched the suite for surveillance equipment using a curious piece of hardware that resembled a Geiger counter. Finding the suite clear of bugs and cameras, a soft smile crossed her lips. Just as she put the device away, someone knocked on her door. Going to the peephole, she saw the Inn's manager outside…a petite Japanese woman with short black hair wearing a traditional kimono. The locks clicked and Charlie opened the door. "Yes…what is it?"

"Is the room suitable, Miss Kusanagi?" the manager asked formally with a bow.

"Yes," Charlie replied with a friendly smile while pushing a stray strand of her pink hair out of her face. "It'll do nicely. I really appreciate what you're doing for me, Tess."

"Don't worry about it, Charlie," the manager, Tess, chimed. "After what you did for me all those years ago, this is the least I can do. Just be sure to keep those horns covered up when you come out. We don't want to alarm the other guests."

"Don't worry," Charlie replied coolly. "I don't plan on being seen at all and I hope to be out of here in the morning."

"Very well," Tess returned. "If I don't see you again, please don't forget me and what I did for you."

Charlie patted Tess on the cheek. "Of course I won't. Now, if you will excuse me, there's a bath calling my name."

"Have a good night, Miss Kusanagi," Tess said with a formal bow. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call on me at any hour."

"Thanks," Charlie replied, shutting the door and locking it. She shook her head with a sad smile. _She is so naïve. _ Yet she sensed something odd…something elusive, dangerous, even malevolent at a distance. Looking toward the bath, it called to her and the smell of several days of sweat, blood, and grime on her pushed her to the bath with her duffel in tow. She dropped it next to the sink and immediately began running water in the large, two person tub. Turning to the sink and the large mirror there, she placed her hands on the counter, looking into the mirror. The gray stripe on her face along with the scars made it look like she'd been mauled. It was a constant reminder of her tortured past. A troubled sigh escaped her lips as she knelt down, removing her boots one at a time along with her smelly socks. The stench of three days without a change of socks caused a grimace as she tossed them aside. A few moments later after peeling off her flight suit and underwear, she slowly stepped into the steaming water. A very relieved, pleasant groan escaped her lips as she slowly eased into the hot water.

"Oh yea…this is what I'm talking about," she murmured, lying back against the side of the tub, soaking her aching muscles.

Just as she started relaxing, her blood began burning as Sixty-six's call reached her. Her fury rose, causing a chill in her core that the hot bath was unable to counter. A deep scowl crossed her lips as a vicious growl rose from her toes. After a few moments of battling with her control of the fury, she hissed, "Oh you son of a bitch, I'll come all right…to end your wretched existence. You can't command me, no matter how powerful you think you are. I stand with the Queen and you'll not turn me."

After speaking the words, the icy feel deep in her core warmed and exhaustion swept over her. In moments, she fell fast asleep. Dreams intruded immediately…dreams of extreme violence and bloodlust where she found her very existence hanging in the balance between the Light and the Darkness. She found herself standing on a mountain overlooking an endless, desolate plain covered with countless decomposing bodies of both humans and the diclonius. The stench was horrendous. Everywhere she looked, decaying death greeted her. A shadow suddenly fell over her from behind and she turned, seeing a churning black cloud forming into colossal diclonius from the waist up with thousands of vectors floating about it. A wicked skull with enormous curved horns formed its head. Charlie felt the ice of her fury mingle with numbing fear. She froze, staring at the hideous apparition. Its skeletal face housed a set of jagged, needle-like teeth. Its many vectors had claws and glowed crimson. The creature suddenly noticed Charlie. A wicked smile crossed its death-face.

"Charlene Kusanagi," the Beast rumbled. "Time to join us….There's no point in resisting your fate. There can be only one and it's not you." It launched two hundred of its vectors at her.

Charlie stared at the attack, unable to move. Without warning, a brilliant light flashed between her and the Beast, blocking the vector attack. She fell to her knees with a cry, shielding her eyes as a roar rose. A voice boomed in her ears, "You cannot have her. She's one of my children!" When her vision returned, Charlie couldn't believe her eyes. A colossal glowing angel cloud that looked like Lucy stood toe to toe with the Beast. Thousands of white, glowing vectors floated around the Angel, all of them aimed to strike the Beast. "Get out of here, Charlie! Run!" the Angel pleaded, her voice echoing over the desolation. The Beast roared and attacked the Angel with all its might.

Charlie watched in numbed terror, paralyzed, as the two titans battled for her very life and soul. In the battle, the Angel struck the ground around Charlie with some of her vectors, collapsing it into a void as the Beast launched another assault on her. Just as she fell, a single vector from the Angel penetrated her brain and the Angel spoke through the vector. "Time is running out, my daughter. I can't hold the Beast back much longer. Find Akira and you'll find the Queen. Go, quickly now."

Charlie's eyes grew wide upon hearing the words. Darkness instantly swallowed her along with a sense of falling. She fell faster and faster until a light flashed and she screamed. Her eyes flew open and she sat up with a start, flailing her arms wildly. Her heart hammered in her chest while she looked around in a panic. When she started calming down, she realized she still sat in the bath and safe. Pulling her legs to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them, and buried her face in her knees, sobbing softly. A mysterious song she never heard before abruptly fell into her mind that was strangely soothing. She looked up, thinking that she was hearing music from some of the other suites. After listening closely, she gasped, finding the music echoing from her own mind and body. "What is this?" she whispered. "Where's this beautiful, calming song coming from?" Within seconds, she found herself humming the tune and quickly calming down. When she had calmed down, the song vanished. A smile crossed her lips. "I don't know where that came from, but damn it was beautiful…and so soothing too." Her diclonius telepathic twitched and again she gasped, realizing where the song had come from, and more importantly…from whom. "Lucy," she whispered, finally associating the name to the Queen. A pleasant chill raced down her spine. "Thank you, Lucy."

Several minutes later, she finished taking her bath and walked out of the bath into the bed area, still nude and drying her hair with a towel. Stopping in front of the large mirror over the desk, she paused to look at her lean, shapely figure…seeing numerous scars from cuts and bullets on her chest, belly, legs, and arms. Each scar bore a memory of pain and betrayal that she wished she could forget. A sigh escaped her lips as she touched a particularly large scar just below her heart. An icy twinge pricked her heart and she shook her head, going back to drying her hair while sitting down on the bed cross-legged. She reached out with a vector and turned on the TV as she worked to dry her long hair thoroughly.

A thirty-minute commercial blared, hawking the benefits of a piece of exercise equipment. She half-listened to the irritating sales presentation while finishing drying her hair. Throwing the towel down, she retrieved her duffel from the bath with her vector. It floated to her and she opened it. Rummaging through it for a moment, she found a hairbrush and began combing her hair. As she tamed her tangled hair, a special news report broke in on the program. Her eyebrow rose and she paid closer attention to the newscast.

A beautiful Japanese woman with short black hair wearing a suit sat behind the news desk. "This is a special report from JNS," the woman on the TV announced. "This is Nozomi Fugiwara at the JNS news desk with some disturbing news. Japan is under attack from within. In the last four hours, there have been five attacks scattered across the country with mass casualties. The first was a train station on the north side of Tokyo. Unconfirmed reports put casualties close to 200. Those reports say the bullet from Hokkaido pulled in the station covered with blood, and then an explosion sealed the station entrance. Twenty minutes later, word reached us from Kyoto that a mall was attacked with close to a hundred people dead. Reports have filtered in from Yokohama, Kamakura, Osaka, and Hiroshima as well of similar attacks all over those cities." She touched her earpiece for a moment, and then added, "Ken Josuitji is live at the attack site in Tokyo. We have been informed that what you are about to see is live and could possibly be graphic, so if you have children watching, send them out of the room. What you are about to see may disturb you…Ken, what is happening?"

The TV split frame with Nozomi in one frame and Ken in the other. In Ken's frame, he sat in his TV van in front of a laptop. "Nozomi," Ken announced, "It was utter chaos down here at the Shinjuku station when we arrived. Emergency services and the local police arrived right after we did and started treating the wounded and trying to get into the station. As of now, the Self-defense forces have taken control of this scene and clamped a media blackout on what happened. However, working with the local police and Emergency services personnel before the military arrived, I was able to get some footage of what happened in the station. I must warn you and the viewers that this footage is extremely graphic."

"We have already warned the viewers about that," Nozomi stated. "Okay Ken…let's see what you found."

"All right…we're sending the footage now," Ken replied. "This is what we encountered when we went into the station."

The frame with Ken blinked to the train tunnel outside the station with the Ken following two officers and the cameraman filming them. Ken had a miniscule camera headset and microphone on his head, showing the cameraman with a small video camera. "When we got here, we offered to help. The police and EMS personnel, being stretched thin due to the scope of this disaster agreed, especially when I told him I was a medic during my time in the self-defense forces, as was Sam here." Sam, the cameraman, nodded and waved. "So we're proceeding along the north approach to the station. God…there's a lot of blood in this tunnel." The video panned down, showing splashes of blood on the tracks. The two officers started running toward the station platform upon seeing the blood. Ken and Sam took up the pursuit. "We're almost there." He suddenly stopped as they reached the station. One officer stared stupidly at the scene while the other puked on the tracks. Ken's eyes grew wide as he saw pieces of people scattered everywhere and the blood flowing in streams off the platform onto the tracks. "Oh dear god!" he breathed in horror, looking Sam in the face. "Sam, are you getting all this?"

"Yes, Ken," Sam replied, panning his camera to get everything. "This is right down demoniac. Who or what could do something like this?"

"I don't know," Ken whispered, turning back to record the scene with his miniscule camera. "But you're right. Whatever did this isn't human." He climbed up on the platform with the officers, who started checking for survivors. "I haven't seen this kind of carnage since the incidents in Kamakura three years ago. Anyone found any live ones yet?"

The officer in charge said, "No…they're all dead."

The other officer called out, "Nothing here. These people didn't have a chance. What kind of monster does this to people? Just look at it…they were ripped apart!"

"This place is a tomb, Ken," Sam declared.

Ken panned his camera over to Sam, seeing him filming the bodies. "You're right.

Just then, a voice shouted from the tunnel behind them, "What are you doing here? You're interfering with a national security investigation! Shut off that camera!" Both Sam and Ken turned around long enough to see a platoon of soldiers flooding platform. "Give me that camera!" one of the soldiers barked, wrenching the camera from Sam's hands and smashing it.

"Oh shit," Ken whispered as the soldiers rounded up the two officers and Sam. "…not good."

"Don't move!" the platoon captain barked, pointing his machine gun at them. "This crime scene is now under military jurisdiction and classified. Should you tell anyone what you've seen here, you will be shot."

"Yes sir," Ken said softly. "No need to be pushy."

"Get them out of here, Sergeant," the captain barked.

"Come on," the Sergeant ordered, nodding toward the tunnel. "Let's go."

Ken, Sam, and the two officers grudgingly jumped down on the tracks and walked out, followed by the sergeant and two soldiers with their machine guns trained on them. When they were out of earshot of the captain, the sergeant said, "I know who you are. You're the famous JNS reporter, Ken Josuitji. I've seen you on TV."

"Yea, that's me," Ken said cautiously.

The Sergeant walked up beside him and whispered, "You find yourself neck deep in something the brass wants kept hidden. Be very careful, Ken. They have no qualms in exterminating people who reveal their secrets. But this is something everyone has to know about, if you know what I mean."

Ken glanced at the Sergeant briefly, not letting the camera get a good shot of him. "I know exactly what you mean."

"Keep moving," the Sergeant replied harshly to keep up appearances." At that, the video clip ended and Ken's image came back up with him in the van.

"Something sinister is going on here, Nozomi," Ken reported. "I don't know what it is, but it smells like the Kamakura cover-up three years ago all over again. The military was involved…" Without warning, gunfire crackled and blood splashed on the laptop's webcam while Ken jerked violently from bullets ripping through his chest and face. As he slumped, he croaked, "The military…must stop them before they…"

Nozomi's face filled with horror as the image of Ken's death face vanished into static. "Ken…Ken! Oh dear god no!" The broadcast suddenly went down and a technical difficulties plaque graphic flashed up on the screen.

Charlie looked at it with a sour look. She knew the fingerprint of diclonius carnage. "So, it's begun," she murmured, shutting off the TV with her vector. "I have to find Lucy before this gets any worse."

A sigh escaped her lips as she sat her hairbrush down, pondering her next course of action. "Too late to do anything tonight, so I just as well ought to try and relax. I won't be any help if I'm not properly refreshed." She turned her attention to her duffel.

Rummaging through her duffel, she removed a maroon satin and lace teddy. "Hmmm," she mumbled while holding it up. "I sure do miss feeling like a real woman. When was the last time I dressed and felt like a real woman and not a warrior freak?" She thought about it, and then declared, "Too damned long. It's time to remedy that." She stood up and slipped the teddy on. Posing in front of the mirror, she looked closely at her reflection. The teddy, with its high cut legs and low cut chest, fit her form perfectly, enhancing her physical features. A warm shudder raced down her spine. She loved what she saw. "Oh yea…that's what I'm talking about, you sexy minx!" She struck a seductive pose for the mirror, holding her hair up while thrusting her hips back just slightly. Blowing a kiss to her reflection and winking, she murmured, "You're going to break hearts, you beautiful minx!" A yawn abruptly escaped her lips and she stretched in a very sensual manner, reaching for the ceiling while rising up on her toes. "God…I'm tired," she said while settling back on her feet. Looking one more time in the mirror, she added, "You must be patient. He is out there, somewhere, waiting for you." Another yawn issued forth as a wave of sleepiness hit her, forcing her back to the bed. She tossed the duffel aside. Pulling back the blankets, she collapsed on the bed and pulled the blankets up to her chest. After turning a couple of times to settle herself, she drifted off to sleep.

To the south at the Kumamoto Airport, a pair of disguised diclonii…a man and woman climbed into a taxi. The driver sized up his fare, noticing their Asian look and an oddness about them that put him slightly on edge. But when his eye fell upon the woman, he couldn't help but let a smile cross his lips. His eyes followed her near-perfect curves in the rear-view mirror as she climbed in the cab, followed by the man. The woman wore thigh-length kaki dress, thigh-length tan leather leggings with four-inch stiletto heels, a short leather coat that stopped at her midriff, and an old-style Russian fur hat. Her long black hair flowing from beneath her hat floated in the breeze as she stepped into the taxi. Her body was slender and athletic, powerfully built and proportioned with an ample chest. Her face was long and slender, with high cheekbones, deep penetrating blue eyes, and two odd marks on her beautiful face that looked like scars. These marks stretched from just above her eyebrows down across the eyes, ending on her cheeks. Together, the two marks made it look like she'd been clawed. Yet, she looked perfectly at ease with the marks, which caused the driver to wonder at how exotically beautiful she was.

When the man stepped in the taxi after the woman, the driver first noticed that he wore kakis, leather boots, a brown leather trench coat, and hat. When the man settled in his seat next to the woman, the large scar on the man's face, stretching diagonally from the left side of his face above the eyebrow down across the nose and ending on the right cheek stared back at the driver. He noticed the man emanated an aura of raw power, even though the man's build was rather modest. A chill chased down the driver's spine as he turned around to speak to his fares.

"Hello folks…where to?" he asked nonchalantly.

The man looked grimly at the driver. "Take us to the Aso Shrine, driver."

"Yes sir," the driver answered.

Before he could speak again, the man showed him two gold coins, saying, "These are yours when you get there if you don't annoy us with useless chatter and stupid questions. It's been a long flight."

The driver's eyes grew wide as he eyed the coins. "Absolutely, sir. May I have the pleasure of your names before we head out?"

A sober smile crossed the man's face. "Of course…I see no harm in that. I'm Tao and this is my wife, Li Mei. There is one more gold coin in it for you if you forget our names after we get to Aso."

"Deal!" the driver crowed. With that, the taxi took off.

"Tao…are you sure you want to do that?" Li Mei asked. "We can't be sure of anything here. The Fury is so strong here that I'm finding it difficult to resist it."

"Everything will be okay," Tao whispered. "We must be strong. I'm sure we'll be able to find Master Akira. He'll know where to find the Queen."

"I hope so," Li Mei murmured. "We must find Lucy before anyone else can."

"I know," Tao answered, putting his arm around her. "Only when we're with Lucy can we make a difference."

The driver listened intently while navigating the evening traffic. "Excuse me, are you talking about the Akira Nariko?"

Tao's eyes narrowed as his forehead furrowed. "What do you know about Akira Nariko?"

"Only rumors…strange rumors," the driver replied.

"What kind of rumors?" Li Mei queried.

"Well, rumor has it that he's a powerful shaman who has lived since the time of the Shoguns," the driver stated. "It is said that he can control people's minds and kill them without touching them. Others say he's a demon who has turned against his kind. But the craziest one is that he goes around capturing these freaks with horns that kill people. When he finds them, he takes them away and no one ever sees them again. They say he kills them and absorbs their power so he can be immortal."

Tao and Li Mei's faces soured at the driver's words. "But they're just rumors and you know how rumors can be," the driver said, noticing their reaction in the rearview mirror. "You know what I think?"

"What?" Li Mei spat back.

"I think he's just misunderstood," the drive answered. "He's not such a bad guy, even though he does look like one of them."

Tao felt the Fury rising in him. "Why do you say that?" he hissed.

The driver glanced at him in the mirror. "...Because I had the honor of meeting him about three years ago. He really is a nice guy…a little strange but a good guy."

"How did this happen?" Li Mei asked out of curiosity.

"To be honest, it was completely by chance that I ran up on him," the driver stated. "I was sitting in a diner outside of Taketa having a very late dinner. I'd just dropped off my last fare at Saiki and was on my way back to Kumamoto. As I remember, I stopped at the diner about 9:30 that evening to grab some supper. It had been a very long day. Anyway, I was eating when he walked in and ordered a bowl of soumen noodles and some water. I watched him closely as he sat there eating. Then a couple of punk kids came in and held up the place. As the owner was about to empty the cash register, I remember him calling out to the kids, telling them to leave or bad things would happen. They took it as an insult and tried to shoot him. I dove under my table and watched. Somehow, they missed every time they shot at him. Then the strangest thing happened. Their guns flew out of their hands as if someone had knocked them away. And if that wasn't strange enough, they suddenly floated in the air and smashed against each other several times. I'll never forget what he said to them. He said, 'You kids picked the wrong establishment to rob. I like this place and now you're here threatening my friend and me with guns. If you don't change your ways, you're going to end up dead. Now get out of here and if I find you doing this again, you will regret it.' The door suddenly opened by itself and the two kids flew out like they someone had tossed them like rag dolls. Once the door shut, he apologized to the owner, who thanked him. Then he came over to my table and talked to me while he finished his noodles. I still don't know how he did that or if I was just hallucinating because of the long day. But we talked for some time. I found that I liked him, even though he did have these strange maroon eyes. It was right down eerie. It was like looking into the eyes of a demon…a good demon."

Tao and Li Mei looked at each other, letting a brief smile cross their lips. "That's some story," Tao commented, his fury easing. "He saved you from a robbery."

"Yep…at least I think he did," the driver said. "Why do you want to see him?"

"Oh, he's just an old friend we've been meaning to visit," Li Mei stated. "We decided that since we're here in Japan, we'd look him up."

"Sounds good," the driver said.

"Have you seen him since the incident?" Tao asked.

"Nope," the driver returned. "I haven't. But I do know he's been seen in the Aso area several times. As for those crazy rumors, I don't believe them. He's just not that kind of guy."

"That's a good idea," Tao declared. "You just can't trust the hearsay about some people."

"Amen to that," the driver agreed. "You mind if I turn on the radio?"

"Go ahead," Li Mei said.

The driver punched a button and a news broadcast reported the mass casualty attacks all over Japan and the government trying to cover it up. After listening to the reports because they were on all stations, the driver turned off the radio. "Good God…what in the world is happening? Has everyone gone completely nuts?"

"I don't know," Tao lied. "But it can't be good." For the remainder of the trip to Aso, they said very little. At 8:45 in the evening, they pulled up at an inn within walking distance of the Shrine.

"Here you are folks," the driver stated, opening the door for Li Mei. "This is the best inn in Aso. The Shrine is just up the road about a half a kilometer."

"Thank you," she replied. "It was nice meeting you."

"You are most welcome, kind lady. I am honored to have been able to help you this evening," the driver declared as Tao walked up.

"Time to settle up," he said, reaching into his pocket. "Thank you for the ride and the information. Here is something for your trouble."

The driver's eyes became saucers when Tao dropped six gold coins in his hand. "Uhh…I don't know what to say except thank you so much. I've never seen such generosity."

Tao patted him on the shoulder. "You're a good man. It's a rare thing to meet a good man these days. I'd like for you to do something in exchange for the gold."

"Name it," the driver blurted out.

"First, forget about us and everything we talked about," Tao insisted. "You don't want to become part of our world. Second, be very careful out there. The world has become infinitely more dangerous. Now have a good night and life, Humato Shin. Fate willing, we'll meet again."

The driver's mouth fell open in shock. "How did you…wait a minute, you're one of…"

Both Tao and Li Mei smiled, removing their hats. Humato stared, dumbfounded at the cat-ear horns on both of them. "Yes," Li Mei said warmly. "We're like Akira. You have no clue as to what is coming down. That is why we warned you. You're a good man, a rarity in this world."

Tao looked Humato in the eye, saying with deadly seriousness, "Now you know why we asked you what we did. There is a war coming and we don't want you to be a casualty. It was an honor to meet you, Humato Shin. Farewell and good luck." He reached out and shook the driver's hand.

Li Mei then stood nose to nose with him, smiling. "Thank you for the pleasant ride. Here is something for you to remember me by. She put her hands on each side of his face and gently kissed him on the lips. "That's just for you. Goodbye, Mr. Shin."

With that, Tao and Li Mei put their hats back on and walked into the inn, leaving Humato Shin standing there completely dazzled. When the shock wore off, he licked his lips and pocketed the gold. "Good luck," he whispered. "Your secret is safe with me." At that, he climbed into his taxi and drove into the darkness.

Lucy sat in her bed in a gray nightgown with her legs pushed against her chest and her arms wrapped around them, humming the Lilium melody without knowing exactly why. Moonlight streamed into the window of her room, illuminating her bed and Kohta lying in a separate bed a few feet away, sound asleep. Other than two dressers and the nightstand with a small lamp on it sitting between their beds, the room was bare of any other trappings. She scanned the room slowly, her mind in turmoil from Sixty-six's call. The dream of the skull-faced diclonius monster and the Angel that immediately followed his call tormented her. She saw Charlie's paralysis and the Angel save her from the monster. Lucy's gaze fell upon Kohta and lingered upon him. She could see his face twisted in pain and horror and his body trembling under the blankets. Furthermore, her diclonius telepathy connection to him was growing stronger by the moment. She sensed that he needed her desperately. A moan escaped his lips and he stirred. Soft sobs began bubbling up from him. Seeing his tears in the pale moonlight, her icy heart softened as her love for him grew.

Before she knew it, she rose from her bed and walked over to Kohta. Sitting down next to him, she caressed his tear-stained cheeks, wiping his tears away ever so gently. While staring into his face, Kaeda's voice echoed softly in her ears, "Go ahead, Lucy. It's okay to do what you're thinking. He needs you."

"Nyu help Kohta not cry," Nyu's voice called out. "Nyu want to help Kohta."

"Do it, Lucy. It's okay. You can do it," Kaeda reinforced.

Tears started dripping down her cheeks as her resolve solidified. She rose and slipped under the blankets with Kohta, cuddling close to him. "I'm here for you, Kohta," she whispered while carefully wrapping her arm around him. The blush crept into her cheeks, but she didn't care. Kohta needed her and she wasn't going to let him down. Her very presence next to him caused his face to relax. She turned on her side and leaned against him on his left, letting her arm drape across his chest while resting her head on his left shoulder. His racing heartbeat reverberated through in her head. "Oh Kohta…" she moaned. "Please calm down. Your heart is racing." To her utter surprise, his heartbeat slowed to a steady beat. "Blood, please don't kill him, but make him strong," she murmured to his chest, suddenly feeling that the blood she gave him may still be respondent to her will. "Heal him and make him my one and only." His body temperature rose noticeably. By accident, she let her hand touch the wound on his right chest. Instantly, she noticed it was burning hot. Yet away from it, the temperature was pleasantly warm…so warm that it was making her sleepy. She felt his hand move and looked into his face, seeing his eyes open and a deep blush decorating his cheeks.

"Lucy," he whispered. "What are you doing?"

"I don't rightly know," she replied. "I felt you needed me, so here I am."

"Oh," he murmured. "Thanks." He groaned and flinched. "God this hurts like hell. I'm on fire! My back feels like something is trying to push out of it!" Lucy's eyes widened with concern.

Just then, Akira knocked and then entered the room. Bringing the lights up just a little, he saw Lucy lying with Kohta and smiled. "My apologies, Lucy…but I sensed the young master was in pain." Lucy began to get up when he added, "No, Lucy…stay right where you are. You're where you're most needed."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Ignoring her question, Akira sat down on the opposite side of the bed and looked Kohta in the eye. "Kohta…can you hear me?"

"Yes," he wheezed. "Where did this pain come from? I feel like I'm burning up and something is trying to push out of by back. It's excruciating."

Akira felt his brow, feeling it just a little warmer than normal. He then saw Lucy's hand over Kohta's chest wound and raised an eyebrow. He felt the wound gently, feeling an intense heat there. He then looked at Lucy and asked, "Did you do something and not realize it? The wound is much hotter due to an accelerated healing going on."

"What do you mean?" she demanded, feeling put upon.

"Did you speak to your blood within him?" he asked. "What did you say?"

"I don't know," she lied. "I felt that he needed me to be close so I came to be with him."

"Lucy," Akira said with a sigh, "…if you spoke to your blood inside him, you may have inadvertently activated it. The burning and pressure he's feeling is a combination of healing and the initial release of his vectors. Now what did you say? I can't help until I know what you did." Kohta groaned as a surge of pain raced up his spine, smashing into his skull. Sweat dripped off him.

Lucy abruptly realized that she had done something to Kohta without understanding the full ramifications of it. At that, she explained what happened. "I didn't realize my blood would react like this. I'm so sorry, Kohta."

He squeezed her hand. "It's all right, Lucy. I know you didn't mean it."

"It'll be okay, Lucy," Akira said. "What you did just accelerated the process he was going to have to deal with anyway."

"What's going on?" Kohta asked between the surges of pain.

"Lucy's blood, at her order, is healing you and making you stronger," Akira stated. "It's also activated your vectors. That's why you're feeling like something is trying to get out. You're vectors are trying to release as I speak. The pressure you're feeling is going to get stronger and stronger until your vectors breech from your back. The first time is always painful."

"What can I do?" Lucy asked.

"Shield yourself and help him to control the release," Akira ordered. "You have chosen him and as a result, you are linked to him. Teach him. Lo…the release is upon us. I will help control his vectors once they breech so they don't damage anything." Touching Kohta on the forehead, he said, "Just relax, son, and unleash your essence. Let Lucy help you."

Lucy sat up and leaned over Kohta. She placed her hands on both sides of his face and forced him to look her in the eye. Bringing her face down to within an inch of his, she said, "Kohta…don't fight the release. Let them come. The more you hold them back, the worse the release will be. I should know."

Kohta nodded, his face twisted in agony. "Use your memories to release your vectors. Think of the most pleasant memory you have. Focus your will through that memory and let your vectors out," Akira instructed. Kohta suddenly arched his back and shrieked as four vectors exploded from his back. "That's it!" Akira coached, sensing and actually seeing Kohta's vectors, subduing them before they could damage anything. "Now relax…just relax. You've done well. How do you feel?"

A drained, but relieved look crossed Kohta's face. "Very, Very weird," he declared. "I can feel something sticking out of my back in four places. It's making me tingle from head to toe and I'm feeling an icy hate that's extremely disturbing. It makes me want to kill everything in sight."

"That would be your fury," Lucy reported, holding his hand while gently restraining his vectors with Akira.

"That would actually be Lucy's fury," Akira declared. "What you're feeling is a portion of her fury transferred through her blood. That's your most dangerous enemy. You're best weapon against it is the love you have for Lucy and for life in general. You must use it to combat that fury. Never let go of your love or humanity."

"I won't," Kohta replied. He gazed into Lucy's eyes, having a new appreciating of her troubles. "I think I'm beginning to understand the forces that have shaped our lives, Lucy. I can't fathom how you've been able to keep this incredible darkness at bay. But somehow, you have. I also now understand your dark half much better now. And you know what?"

"What?" Lucy asked.

"I truly do pity her," he whispered. "What a rotten way to live, consumed with hate for the world that spawned her. But I know there's a better way for your kind to live. We must stop this hate and bloodshed."

"I know," she murmured. "But to do it, we must take on the world."

"I'm not so sure about that," Kohta said. "If I've learned anything about your world, it's we're all connected. We fix the source and we fix the whole."

Lucy's eyes widened as Akira smiled broadly. He patted Kohta on the hand, saying, "Well said, my boy. You're adapting quickly to our world. You have a unique look on it because you were and are still part of the human world too. Use your experiences and knowledge to find the way through the darkness to solve our mutual problem."

"I'll try," Kohta stated. "But first…what about these things…these vectors as you call them. I can feel both you and Lucy holding on to them. How do I use them?"

"Instinct is how," Akira stated. "You use them the same way you use your physical limbs. Motion begins as a thought…a desire to do something. The brain transmits that to your muscles and motion occurs. Your vectors operate the same way. To use them, just think about what you want to do before you do it. They are an extension of your own body, transforming your will into physical reality much more efficiently than your physical limbs. I shouldn't have to tell you what your vectors are capable of doing. You've seen it."

"I have indeed," Kohta replied. "God forbid I use them the way I've seen them used."

"Hopefully, you won't have to," Lucy said softly. "But you have to be aware that you can kill with them. You can use them hammer your enemy or cut them apart."

"True," Akira agreed. "But you can also use them constructively. You can use them to move objects many times your size, or even lift yourself off the ground. They can also be used to deflect ammunition or create a shield around you. The uses of your vectors are limited only by your imagination. But you must respect them because they can damage you if you're careless. It's no different from using a gun, knife, or chain saw. Always respect your vectors and they will not hurt you."

A sigh escaped Kohta's lips. "I see. So, how to I pull them in?" No more than he spoke, the vectors disappeared into his back and strange sensation he felt disappeared. The icy hate he felt while the vectors were out diminished to just a nuisance in the back of his mind.

"That's how," Akira crowed, having released Kohta's vectors when they retracted. "Just think it and they obey. You should be feeling a bit more like a human now. Am I right?"

Kohta nodded. "Yea…that buzz is gone and the icy hate is all but gone."

"Don't turn your back on the fury, Kohta," Lucy warned. "It has a tendency to rear up when you least suspect it."

"Okay," he said with a yawn. "God…I'm so tired. Will this happen every time these things come out?"

"No," Akira stated. "The first time is always tiring. But you must also remember that Lucy's blood is healing your wounds at a fantastic rate. May I take a look at your chest wound?" He nodded and Akira gently pulled the bandage back to look at the wound. A broad smile crossed his lips as he refastened the bandage. "This is incredible. Your wound is almost completely healed. Apparently, Lucy's blood has given you an incredible healing ability. You'll be up and around in a day or two instead of the week, week and a half that I initially believed." Turning to Lucy, he added, "Now do you believe you're the Queen, Lucy? You were able to command your blood and it responded, healing your friend."

"I don't know," she replied. "But I'm beginning to think you might be right."

"Am I a diclonius now?" Kohta asked.

"I'm not sure," Akira replied. "I don't mean to give you a short answer. It's just I'm not sure. You're still evolving. We'll just have to wait and see." When he saw the fearful look on Kohta's face, he added, "Don't worry, Kohta. You're not going to die from Lucy's blood. That much is certain at this point. If it were going to kill you, it would have done it two days ago."

"Will someone teach me how to uses these vectors?" Kohta asked.

"Of course," Lucy said. "But you need to heal first."

"Indeed," Akira agreed. "But what you need to do now is rest, son. Sleep and don't let the nightmare of the giant skull-head monster fighting the Angel torment you."

Both Kohta and Lucy gasped. "What do you mean? You had that dream too?" Lucy asked, flabbergasted.

"I did indeed," Akira replied. "You should be aware that the dream was a psychic dream channeled through the King directly from the Collective. The monster you saw is the Fury within the collective and the Angel is Izanami of the Light. The diclonius girl you saw is a queen of America who was caught between them."

"You're kidding!" Kohta breathed. "How are we going to fight that?"

Akira smiled and patted Kohta on the leg. "We do it together, using our love and humanity as our greatest weapon. You may not realize this, but we aren't alone in our fight. The girl you saw in the dream is going to help us. In fact, she is closer than you think. I can sense her presence."

"Can we trust this woman?" Lucy asked suspiciously.

"Yes," Akira declared. "Trust me, Lucy. She is one of us and you'll meet her soon enough. Now enough talk. Kohta…you get some sleep. We'll talk about this later. Lucy, follow your heart. Let this fine young man melt your icy heart. I know he can and will. Just don't get carried away. Let him heal up. Good night, Lucy, Kohta." With that, he rose and left, turning the light off.

Lucy looked at Kohta, the blush rising in her face again. "Kohta…I…"

He yawned sleepily. "Come on…it's okay, Lucy. I wouldn't mind the company after what just happened. Damn I'm sleepy."

She slipped under the blankets with him, cuddling close. "Thank you, Kohta."

"You're welcome," he replied, grasping her hand as his eyes closed. Within seconds, a soft snore rose from him.

Leaning over and kissing him on the cheek, she said, "Sleep well, my friend." As she lay down next to him, a warm feeling tickled her heart. A deep, loving smile crept across her lips as she drifted off to sleep with both Kaeda and Nyu cheered in her mind, sharing in Lucy's brief happy moment. At the same time, Dark Lucy skulked in the shadows of mind, pondering the strange turn of events that left her reeling. Suddenly, her resolve galvanized and she set out to confront Lucy, Kaeda, Nyu, and Kohta about the call of the King and Kohta's role in everything.

A/N: I sincerely apologize for taking so long getting this chapter posted. I have returned to college and had a number of large projects due during late October through the first part of December, so I had to put this story briefly on the back burner. But the semester is over and I was able to finish it. Sixty-six has set the annihilation into motion. But not all diclonius are obeying his call. The lines are being drawn and Kohta's evolution is started in earnest. Will he be able to resist the urges of the diclonius fury and help Lucy restore the balance, or will he become another casualty of the annihilation. Keep reading to find out. As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest but kind. And again, I apologize for the delay. Hopefully, I will have the next installment up much quicker.

Beowulf Caverias


	16. Chapter 16 Lazarus Unleashed!

Chapter 16

Lazarus Unleashed!

Sixty-six stood at the edge of the roof of the ruined Institute when a diclonius girl came to him. Five other diclonii stood off at a distance, watching closely. "Excuse me," she said softly, bowing to him as he looked out toward Kamakura.

"What is it, Susan?" he asked without looking. "This better be important."

"It is," Susan replied cautiously. "We found something in the lowest level that you should see."

Sixty-six turned to her, sensing her fear. A sinister smile crossed his lips. "You and your friends managed to break into the Lazarus Lab, didn't you?"

"Yeah," she stated. "There's something in there you need to see. We didn't know what to do with it so we left it alone."

"Has anyone touched anything in the lab?" he demanded.

"No…we did just as you asked," she reported. "Nothing was touched or disturbed."

"You better hope so," Sixty-six hissed. "Otherwise I'll kill you myself. I didn't keep you and your friends alive just to defy me. Come on…let's see what the half-breed was trying to do."

Minutes later, he reached the lab with Susan and ten other diclonii. "I think we'll just wait here," Susan stated, speaking for the others who agreed with her sentiment.

"Suit yourself," he growled, pushing through the door. "Things happened in here that aren't for your eyes anyway." As the wrecked door swung shut behind him, he noticed the lights flickering and deep shadows in the corners of the cavernous lab. Bloody tables sat in lines with special robotic equipment set up for organ and parts harvesting attached to them. Some of the tables still had the butchered remains of both humans and diclonius strapped to them. Fresh blood dripping from the tables and machinery echoed ominously throughout the lab. High above the harvesting floor sat the control booth for the machines. The stench of death filled Sixty-six's nostrils. "Hmmm…this place smells of terrible power." Walking slowly through the lab, he eyed the diclonius victims with burning hate for Kakuzawa and humanity in general. He stopped at one body…a diclonius girl. The top of her head was missing with her brain extracted. Only bloody eye sockets stared at him and she was split open from neck to crotch with all her organs removed.

"Bastard!" he cursed. "Your punishment wasn't nearly harsh enough." Walking on, he passed dozens of bodies in similar condition. His fury raged…a pot of boiling tar about to overflow. Upon reaching the second containment of the lab, he ripped the bulkhead door off the hinges with his vectors, sending it crashing across the room, demolishing several tables.

Stepping inside the second containment, Sixty-six paused and his mouth fell open as a shocking sight greeted him. The second containment contained dozens of reinforced glass tanks standing ten feet high and four feet across. The top and bottoms of these capsules lay embedded in a mechanical apparatus with all kinds of displays, wires, and hoses attached to it. Inside these tanks, floating in a clear bubbling fluid, were mutated aberrations that began as either human or diclonius. He slowly walked down the catwalk between the lines of tanks. A frigid chill raced down his spine as he began to understand the depth of Kakuzawa's depravity. "Looks like I underestimated you, half-breed," he murmured in disgust. "You were truly twisted to do this."

Passing by one tank, he saw a poor diclonius girl who had been partially mutated into a wolf. Her face and skull was elongated with huge canines while her fingers were partially fused together into weird paws. Her horns, however, had grown to six inches, making her look like a demon.

Farther down, he encountered a diclonius boy who looked like a giant bat, complete with bat wings and a giant set of horns. Next, a diclonius mutated into a tiger greeted his eyes followed by a diclonius/eagle hybrid and a diclonius/komodo dragon hybrid. Toward the far end of the catwalk near the entrance to the third containment, the mutations included the fusing of diclonius and human parts together in a Dr. Frankenstein fashion, and then enhanced with cybernetics. In each case of mutation, the mutation failed with only a partial completion before it killed its victim. Moreover, there included dozens of smaller tanks with human organs in them: brains, hearts, livers, spleens, pancreases, intestines. Some of these smaller tanks also housed complete body parts: arms, legs, torsos, even whole heads. When Sixty-six saw this, especially the Dr. Frankenstein creatures of human/diclonius composites enhancement with cybernetics, his fury and hate exploded. Reaching out with his vectors, he demolished everything within reach before ripping the third containment open.

After stepping through the breech into the third containment, he saw a platform with a cybernetic Frankenstein-style monstrosity locked down in heavy restraints on a vertical table. A spotlight shined down on the thing. Upon seeing it, Sixty-six found his curiosity rising in spite of his rage and disgust. His view of the monster became clearer as he approached it. It stood seven feet with powerful mechanical arms and legs. Parts of the chest, back, neck, and head were enhanced cybernetically. However, the upper part of the head appeared diclonius with two large horns while the lower part of the face contained cybernetic eyes and a number of scars. As he approached the thing, Sixty-six saw its chest move and heard it breathing. "Son of a bitch…this thing's alive! Looks like the half-breed actually made some progress on his project. Let's see what the computer says about this thing."

Stepping over to the computer console and sitting down, Sixty-six quickly found the file on the experiment strapped to the table next to him. "I'll be damned. He really did it," he cursed after scanning the file. "Kakuzawa successfully created a diclonius from this dead human using diclonius material and then enhanced him with cybernetics." He cast a hateful eye to the thing, seeing it stir. "Maybe I can make use of this abomination." After a few more moments of scanning the file, a huge smile crossed his face. "Oh this is too sweet! This freak is the perfect weapon to take care of that pest who's desecrated my queen."

Walking up to the thing, he slapped it. "Come on…wakey wakey, freak. I have a job for you." The thing stirred and moaned, lifting its head to focus on Sixty-six. "That's it, you old war dog. Wake up."

It shook its head for a moment, and then growled in a deep gravelly voice, "Who the hell are you?"

"Who I am is not important right now," Sixty-six stated. "What is important is who you are. Do you remember who you are, soldier?"

"No," it answered.

"Look close at me and tell me you don't remember anything," Sixty-six ordered, sending one of his vectors into the thing's brain, prodding old synapses to jog its memory.

The cyborg focused on him, seeing the horns, pink hair, and maroon eyes. Its face suddenly flushed as memories gushed forth. "You're one of those goddamned freaks. Where's that bitch and her god damned boyfriend? I've a score to settle with both of them!"

"Excellent," Sixty-six crowed. "You've remembered. Now who are you?"

"The name is Bandoh, and I'll kill that bitch and her boyfriend for what they did to me," he raged, starting to struggle against the restraints. Then a shocking realization crossed his face as he remembered his last moments. "Wait a minute…that punk killed me!"

Sixty-six's eyebrow rose. "You mean that pest killed you? How did such a weakling do that to such a skilled warrior as yourself?"

Bandoh's face flushed. "He got the drop on me, shooting me with my own gun while I was strangling Number Seven. I'm going to enjoy tearing his face off and ripping his guts out."

"That's the spirit," Sixty-six crowed. "I can use that rage."

"What do you mean?" Bandoh hissed. "I work for no one."

"I'm not asking you to work for me. I'm asking you to take your revenge on the pest who did this to you."

A sinister smile crossed Bandoh's face. "You have my word on that. Then I'll kill that bitch for what she did to me."

Sixty-six's face fell and he grabbed Bandoh by the throat, squeezing hard. "You touch her and I'll make sure you stay dead. There won't be enough left of you to put in a small plastic bag. The others you can do with as you like. But Lucy is mine. Do I make myself clear?"

A gurgle rose from Bandoh has he managed to nod yes. Sixty-six released him and he gasped, regaining his breath. Glaring into Sixty-six's eyes, he growled, "Who the fuck do you think you are to tell me who I can and can't kill? I've a score to settle with them…all of them."

"I'm your worst nightmare, Bandoh…the diclonius King who commands legions of my kind to do my will. Get on my bad side and you'll see just how mean I can be." A smile suddenly crept across Sixty-six's face as he added, "But I like your moxy, Bandoh. You have a ruthless streak and careless disregard for life that I haven't seen in other humans. Though, I can't say that you're human any longer."

"What do you mean?" Bandoh asked.

"It seems that your interference with the half-breed Kakuzawa prompted him to use you as a guinea pig for his Lazarus project. He used diclonius material to resurrect you, and then he had your body enhanced with cybernetics. You aren't human; you aren't diclonius; and you aren't machine. You're a combination of all three and a freak even more than I am. He turned you into the very thing you were hired to exterminate. If you don't believe me, look in this mirror." Sixty-six snatched a mirror from across the lab with his vectors and held it in front of Bandoh so he could see his reflection.

Shock covered Bandoh's face as Sixty-six chuckled at the response. His heart began to pound like a jackhammer as his face flushed crimson, especially when he saw the diclonius horns and a large surgical scar running across his forehead. "He had you pieced back together like a Frankenstein's Monster just to make you pay for interfering with his plans," Sixty-six taunted.

A roar escaped Bandoh's lips. At the same time, his newly discovered diclonius power blossomed. Six vectors ripped from his back, tearing apart the restraints and going for Sixty-six…destroying the mirror in the process. Sixty-six instantly punched his pineal gland with his vector, rendering Bandoh's new vectors useless before they could harm him. Bandoh fell to his knees in pain while Sixty-six glared icily at him. "What happened?" Bandoh asked, out of breath.

"You just had your first taste of diclonius power. It allowed you to break out of your restraints and attack me. So I punched your pineal gland to render your vectors temporarily useless." He grabbed Bandoh around the neck with his vectors and picked him up, smashing him violently against the table that had imprisoned him. Walking up to him, Sixty-six added, "If you want to survive for the next few minutes, you better get it through your thick mutant skull that I'm in charge. The diclonius around here do what I say or I kill them and absorb their essence. I have one goal…find Lucy and merge with her so I can take control of the Collective. You are either with me or against me. If you're with me, you may have a chance on getting some of your revenge. Otherwise, you're dog meat. I can't have a rabid dog running around ruining my plans the same way you fouled up the half-breed's plans. Now which is it going to be, soldier?"

"All right, all right," Bandoh wheezed, knowing he was in no position to resist. "I'm your man. Just tell me where that bastard Kakuzawa is so I can reach down his throat and pull his heart out."

Releasing his grip on Bandoh, Sixty-six smiled and steadied him. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it? We have a common enemy. Working together, we can destroy them and everyone who has helped to do this to you."

"Yeah…but where is Kakuzawa?"

"He's already been dealt with. I took care of him personally. The only thing left was his head. I put it in his office as a trophy. Would you like to see it?"

"Fuck yea!" Bandoh crowed, feeling his strength rising. "Can we destroy this place before we go?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Sixty-six cackled. "We'll destroy this lab and then we'll start our search for Lucy."

"Excellent!" Bandoh hissed, straightening up and clenching his mechanical fist. "Let's do it!" Sixty-six then began teaching Bandoh how to use his new diclonius abilities as they wrecked the lab. Once they finished, Bandoh asked, "When can I go after the punk and his friends?"

"Patience," Sixty-six replied. "I have a plan on dealing with them. All you need is to do what I say when I say and you'll have your revenge. But first, I'm expecting some visitors that we need to deal with. It'll give you a little more experience getting used to that new chassis of yours."

Bandoh smiled wickedly. "Okay…you're the boss. Besides, you're right. I'm still learning how to use this hardware. A few training exercises will help me to adapt to it."

"Then let's get to it," Sixty-six ordered and Bandoh followed him out of the wrecked lab to begin his training as a mutant diclonius cyborg.

Yet, deep in the darkest recesses of Bandoh's mutated mind, he thought, _Yea…once I figure out how to use this shit and kill them, I'm going to rip your sorry ass to pieces. No one attacks me and lives, king or not. _A cryptic smile crossed his face as they walked away.

* * *

While Sixty-six was taming his newest weapon, the counter on the Kakuzawa dismemberment program continued to tick in the Institute's computer core. The timer clicked down to 23:00:00 as the virus slowly reprogrammed the mainframe's power generator for a catastrophic overload when the counter reached zero.

* * *

Suko Arakawa sat in the briefing room of the Chimera with her diclonius protector, Sen Osabi. Captain Fargo sat at the head of the table with Captain Guildo at his right. Dr. Ravenclaw, Jericho, and Miss Karosuma sat at the table next to Captain Guildo. The first mate -- Chris, the communications officer -- James, Dr. Quang Le, Security chief Phillip Zubiar, and intelligence specialist Elle Eldritch sat along the other side. James tapped on a control panel at his station, saying, "Things have become much worse in the last few hours, Captain. Diclonius around the country have gone on a killing spree, massacring civilians. Right now, most of the activity is centered on Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura, Osaka, and Hiroshima." A holographic map of Japan floated above the table showing the trouble spots. The attack sites were marked with bright red X's.

Fargo's forehead furrowed as he clasped his hands in front of his nose, looking ominously at the map seeing two dozen attack sites on the map. "Overlay the diclonius movement patterns on this map," Guildo ordered. James tapped the controls again and small orange dots representing the known diclonius population in Japan overlaid the attack sites.

Suko looked on in numbed horror. The high density of diclonius in reference to the attack sites startled her. "What does this mean?" she asked.

"It means the situation has gotten extraordinarily dangerous," Fargo declared, noticing the movement of attack sites and diclonius movement continued to be toward Kamakura and the Institute. "The King has sent out an order for all diclonius to kill any human who gets between them and the Institute."

"You're kidding!" Suko balked.

"I'm afraid not," Guildo stated. "Every diclonius on this boat heard the call and saw the vision he sent. The Fury is energizing in a way we've never seen before. Weak diclonius are unable to resist its call. Our time is running out. If he's not stopped, he'll unleash a wave of death the likes of which neither human or diclonius can comprehend."

Dumbfounded, Suko stared at the map as three more attack sites popped up. "So what do we do about it?"

"We do what we set out to do…we find the Queen," Guildo said calmly. "I understand that you have seen the Queen before. Is this true?"

Suko thought about it, pushing into her memories of Kohta. A face suddenly popped out…that of Lucy. "I think so," she said. "I remember the boy Kohta and his cousin, Yuka, bringing a pink-haired girl with maroon eyes to school with them. She was very pretty but acted like she wasn't more than three years old. Something was very weird with her. They left her with Professor Kakuzawa and that was the last time anyone saw him alive again."

"The Director's fool-hardy son," Elle commented. "Our intelligence stated he was not on good terms with the Director because he wanted to accomplish the same goals using a different method. He paid for it with his life. Apparently, the Queen killed him. Miss Arakawa, did Kohta happen to tell you what her name was?"

"They called her Nyu because that seemed to be the only word she could say," Suko reported. "But I did hear the Director call her Lucy."

"Ahh…so we know her name now," Phillip crowed. "That will make it easier when we approach her."

"It will," Fargo said. "All we really knew was the codename headquarters gave her. If she is responding to the name Lucy, then we'd be wise to use it."

A chirp echoed from James' console. "Sir, we will make Tsukumi in ten minutes. However, we must stay cloaked because of heightened naval activity in the area. We have three missile frigates and two destroyers patrolling the area."

"This will make things a more difficult," Fargo stated. "Sound General Quarters and ready the crew for combat."

"Yes sir," James replied. Seconds later, the alarm went off and the lights began flashing red.

"Now, Captain," Fargo stated. "We have a mission to complete. Would you care to lead the team to find Master Akira and the Queen?"

Guildo smiled broadly. "Does a fish like to swim?"

Fargo cackled. "Then let's get to it. Miss Arakawa, Miss Osabi…are you ready to go ashore?"

Suko shook her head. "Not really…but I don't have much choice, now do I?"

Guildo walked over to her chair and squatted down, putting his hand on her knee. "You shouldn't be afraid, Miss Arakawa. You won't be going alone. I'll be coming with you, as will Sen here and a number of others whom you have made friends with on this and my ship. You'll be well protected."

"But what happens if this Fury you all talk about gets the better of you while out there?" she asked bluntly. "I could end up dead real quick."

Fargo looked at her from across the table…his eyes blazing. "Miss Arakawa…we are seasoned, mature diclonius warriors, every last one of us who is diclonius. Should it get to that point, then we're all doomed. That's why we must get to the Queen before that happens. But I make a solemn oath to you that we will protect you to the death, even if we must kill ourselves to keep from killing you. That's all we can promise. You're our friend and we protect our friends."

"I'll make the same promise," Guildo added. Within seconds, every diclonius in the room made the same oath.

"You must trust us," Sen said, putting a friendly hand on her shoulder. "We haven't come this far to betray you now."

Looking into Sen's eyes, Suko believed her. "Okay…We'll try this. But if I end up dead, I'm going to come back and haunt the lot of you."

Everyone chuckled at the comment, causing her to relax. "We can't argue with that," Fargo said with a friendly smile. "You have a deal on that." Suko smiled and Fargo added, "Phillip, be sure Miss Arakawa has a suitable weapon. We can't be too careful."

"Yes sir," Phillip replied.

"Now let's get to it. The Queen needs our help," Fargo declared. With that, the meeting dispersed. Suko followed Sen and Phillip out, not realizing how even the smallest person can change the fates of many.

* * *

In downtown Tokyo at the Prime Minister's Office, the Prime Minister, the leaders of Parliament, the heads of the intelligence services, and the heads of the Self-Defense forces sat around a large table discussing the outbreak of diclonius violence around the country. The Prime Minister listened to the alarming reports. Intense arguments had raged around the room, not helping the situation. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. "People…people, this bickering is getting us nowhere. We have a crisis here and all you're doing is bickering amongst yourselves about who was responsible. I don't care who's responsible. We have to take control of this situation now before it gets any worse. Does anyone have any ideas about how to deal with this without jeopardizing our people's safety or freedoms?"

Silence reigned for nearly two minutes. His anger grew at their inability to give him alternatives other than extermination of every diclonius in Japan. Finally, a general spoke up. "Prime Minister…this is not a normal situation. This isn't just any normal group we're dealing with. The power we know they possess is a direct threat to our national security. If you need any more proof, just look at the reports. Every one of them must be exterminated for the good of not just Japan, but the world. If we hesitate in doing this, we may doom the human race to extinction." A roar of agreement rose from nearly everyone in the room.

The Prime Minister sighed, shaking his head. He looked around at everyone with anger flashing in his eyes. "What you want me to do is declare war on our own people."

"Better to let thousands die now than billions later," one of the intelligence chiefs stated coldly.

Looking directly at the intelligence chief, the Prime Minister hissed, "I might not be the savviest person in this room about intelligence and military tactics, but I do know when I'm being kept in the dark. I'm not going to authorize any kind of action until someone comes clean with me about this. There has to be another way to stop this before it escalates into an all-out war."

The military and intelligence leaders glared at him. "You're a fool. This is already an all-out war. To delay now will allow them to get the upper hand over us. It's us or them, Prime Minister," growled another general.

Just then, the door opened. Every eye turned to the intruder. The Prime Minister's face darkened. "What's the meaning of this intrusion? This is a closed meeting!" He suddenly bit his tongue as the Emperor of Japan walked in with two of his personal guard and a third man trailing. The Prime Minister's face flushed and he immediately bowed. "A thousand apologies, your majesty. I didn't know it was you. What brings you here this time of day?"

The third man shut the door as the Emperor looked around at the people present. Their shocked looks confirmed his suspicions as they all bowed to him. "It seems I have come in time to talk some sense into you," the Emperor stated coolly as he walked toward them with his guard.

"What do you mean, your highness?" one of the Parliament leaders asked.

The Prime Minister evacuated his seat, allowing the Emperor to sit. His guards stood to either side, hands behind their backs, but their pistols and swords visible. The third man stood off a couple of steps to the left. Everyone in the room gave the elderly Japanese man their full attention. "This crisis we find ourselves in is unlike anything we've ever faced before," the Emperor began. "But to submit our people to what you're proposing is folly. What you don't seem to understand is that there's an operation going on as I speak to rectify this situation."

The intelligence chiefs and the military heads began to glare at him. "Sir, not to be disrespectful, but you have no idea of what is going on here," the top general interrupted.

"Silence your lying tongue, general!" the Emperor barked. "You have no idea what I know and believe me, it's more than you. Now be quiet. I'm not going to stand around while you facilitate a full scale civil war on Japan!" This shocked everyone into silence. "Now that I have your attention, hear me out. I know that I'm only a figurehead and you think I'm powerless to do anything. You're making a lethal mistake in thinking that, just like the mistake you're fixing to make now. It appears the only person here who is thinking clearly is Prime Minister Otomi. I applaud your resolve to resist this madness."

"Thank you, Emperor," Otomi replied, bowing. "You honor me."

"However, the rest of you are acting very dishonorably," the Emperor accused. "You have let outside powers influence your reasoning. I ask one question: who will profit from this extermination you're proposing?"

"The people of Japan and the world," one of the Parliament leaders replied. "We cannot let an aggressive species like the diclonius replace us as the dominant species of this planet."

"How do you know they'll do that?" the Emperor asked bluntly. When no one could come up with an answer, he added, "Can anyone give me one shred of evidence that states they'll do that?"

"We've heard them say so," the head intelligence chief stated finally.

"How much do you know about them?" the Emperor queried.

"That's classified," he replied.

"Answer the question," Otomi barked. "The Emperor has the clearance to hear this and be part of this meeting."

"It doesn't matter," the Emperor stated. "I know why he won't say. It's because they've been secretly experimenting on these people not just to learn about their abilities, but also to turn them into assassins. They have directly contributed to the volatility of this situation with their inhuman experimentation on these people. However, I was just informed that one of their main facilities just went down…the one in Kamakura. What was the man's name who ran that asylum of death…Kakuzawa?"

The intelligence chief's face turned ashen and the general's faces flushed. The Emperor cackled. "You stupid fools…I knew about it all along, just as I knew about SHIVA and ARGUS."

Again, their shocked and hostile reactions confirmed his suspicions. "I also know about the operation to solve this problem with the diclonius by finding their true Queen. Both ARGUS and SHIVA had parallel operations to achieve the same goal. If I remember correctly, the idea was to find her and get her to rebalance the Diclonius Collective. This is why the diclonius are acting the way they do. Am I right, Mr. Saito Murata?"

"Yes, your majesty," Saito answered. "However, there have been coups within both organizations and the people who want war have taken over. Fear, hatred, and greed have caused us to come to the precipice of a worldwide war that will end with the extermination of all life on this planet. Our only option is to let our agents, who are acting free of the chain of command now, to finish their original mission. Our only hope is to show the Queen we humans are not worthy of death. Though I can see there are some in this room who probably deserve it for what they've done and are about to do."

The Parliament leaders' expressions faltered. But the intelligence chiefs and the military leaders couldn't hide their surprise and fury. The chief Parliament leader asked, "Is this true? How do you know this?"

"I was the intelligence chief at ARGUS before the coup," Saito replied. "Everything I said is true. It is vital information that your colleagues have kept from you because they want you to side with them in the war. Besides, they have tons of new weaponry they want to try out…some of which they developed from studying the diclonius."

The Parliament leaders stared at each other in amazed fury. Prime Minister Otomi smiled broadly, feeling vindicated. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Murata. That was vital intelligence I needed to know. And thank you, your Majesty, bringing him."

"No thanks are necessary," the Emperor stated. "But we are far from finding a solution here. If I were in charge, I'd allow the teams Saito spoke of to finish their mission before going through with such a bloody solution. We must not forget our past. We have both committed and received genocide. If we don't learn from our mistakes now, we haven't learned anything and are worthy of death."

"So true, your Majesty," the Prime Minister said. Turning to those in the meeting, he declared, "I will not authorize martial law and mass roundups of the diclonius. We will deal with them as we are dealing with them now. We must give the ARGUS and SHIVA teams time to accomplish their missions. I will not submit our people to the horrors of a military dictatorship in the name of security."

"When it's your wife and daughter who are slaughtered by these freaks, you'll sing a different tune," the head intelligence chief warned.

"You're making a deadly mistake, Mr. Prime Minister," the top general hissed. "The only way to deal with a threat of this magnitude is to utterly destroy it. You will regret not acting sooner."

"Is that a threat, General?" Otomi demanded.

"No sir…a promise. When you're ready to deal with these freaks properly, let me know," the top General growled. "Come, generals…there's no point in giving him advice on this. He's made up his mind. Let's go." With that, the generals, intelligence chiefs, and half of the Parliament leaders walked out without being dismissed. The top general was the last to leave. He glared at the Prime Minister, Emperor, and Saito. "Be very careful, Prime Minister…Emperor. This is a very dangerous time. Sometimes bad things happen to good people." He slammed the door as he left. On the way out of the building, he pulled out his communicator. "Operation Prometheus as soon as we clear the building."

A voice echoed back through the device, "Yes sir."

The Prime Minister plopped down in one of the empty chairs, looking at the Emperor and then the remaining three Parliament members. "That could have gone better."

"I'm sorry, Prime Minister," one of the three remaining Parliament members said. "I had no idea an operation was underway to deal with this."

"It's okay," the Emperor said. "You were misled. But we have a grave predicament here. The military has turned against us."

"You're not suggesting that they would stage a coup, are you?" Otomi asked.

"I wouldn't put it past them," Saito stated. "What I failed to say while the others were here is that each of them owes allegiance to people who would profit tremendously from a war with the diclonius. I think we should leave here as quickly as possible."

"You don't think they'd move this quick, do you?" Otomi asked.

Saito looked Otomi right in the eye with the conviction of a heart attack. "I do." No sooner than he spoke, they heard a roar from outside the window of their fifth floor window. In the time it took for them to register that two missiles were inbound, the missiles hit, engulfing the room in fire and flying debris.

When he came to, Saito found the conference table lying on top of him, smoldering. He moaned, feeling the heat and kicked the table off. Slowly standing up, he looked around, seeing small fires still burning in the wreckage of the room. The entire back wall was blown out and the damaged structural supports groaned loudly. As he scanned the wreckage, he saw the charred remains of the Parliament members scattered everywhere. To his left, he found the charred, mangled remains of Prime Minister Otomi sizzling in a fire with several large pieces of wood sticking out of his back. Becoming concerned for the welfare of the Emperor, he began searching the room. In seconds, he found the Emperor's bodyguards lying beneath a piece of collapsed ceiling. Quickly pulling the debris away, he found one bodyguard dead with a piece of rebar sticking through his skull and his body badly burned with parts of his legs missing. The other lay on his belly with a large piece of wood rammed through the left side of his back, which was blistered from the fire. A groan escaped his lips. Saito pulled the dead guard out of the way and knelt down next to the live guard, feeling for his pulse on his neck. An erratic thumping pulsed through his fingers. As he leaned in, Saito noticed a body beneath the guard. His eyes grew wide as he recognized the Emperor. "Your highness…are you all right?"

"I don't know," he wheezed. "I can't feel my arms or legs. How're my bodyguards?"

"One is dead and the other is barely alive," Saito asked. "We have to get out of here before they realize they didn't kill us."

The live guard then mumbled, "Get the Emperor out of here. Don't worry about me. I'm dead already. Go." He then expired, his breath hissing between his dead lips.

Sirens echoed in the background, spurring Saito into action. "We're getting out of here, you highness." He rolled the bodyguard off the Emperor, getting a good look at his injuries. Both legs were broken with compound fractures and his left arm was snapped. His right shoulder appeared rolled far to the front…dislocated. "This is bad," he murmured. "You've broken both legs and your left arm, your majesty. And it appears your right shoulder is dislocated. I'm going to have to put your shoulder back before we attempt to move you."

"Go ahead, my friend," the Emperor growled through the pain. Pressing on his shoulder and manipulating the Emperor's right arm, Saito popped it back into place. A howl escaped the Emperor's lips as he passed out.

While he looked around for something to stabilize the Emperor's broken bones, Saito heard someone call out, "Search the area…nothing survives this diclonius attack!" Covering the Emperor with his body, he made out several outlines moving through the smoke with machine guns. His heart began hammering in his chest as the outlines moved closer. Several gunshots rang out in the distance.

"What am I going to do?" Saito whispered. "I just can't leave the Emperor. If they kill him, the coup will succeed."

A voice whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, Saito. Help is here." No sooner than the voice spoke, he felt a warm force penetrate into his brain, plunging him into darkness.

Sometime later, Saito regain consciousness in a van. "Oh…you're finally awake," the same voice who whispered in his ear stated.

His eyes went instinctively to the voice, seeing a diclonius with flaming red hair and green eyes sitting next to him. Just a couple feet away lying on a small bench lay the Emperor with a diclonius woman hovered over him, wrapping his broken limbs. Upon focusing on the red-haired diclonius, Saito asked, "What happened? Who're you and where are you taking us?"

"Relax, Mr. Murata," the red head replied. "We aren't going to hurt you or the Emperor. It looks like Master Akira's hunch was right. The humans are trying to take out anyone who won't go along with the genocide they've planned for us."

"How did you know that?" Saito demanded.

"It's pretty obvious, now isn't it?" the red head returned. "But where are my manners. I'm Doug and this pretty young thing treating the Emperor is Naomi. We're with the diclonius underground. Do you know of Akira Nariko? He's the one who sent us, and I must say, it was just in the nick of time, too."

Upon hearing the name, Saito realized what happened. "Akira sent you after us?"

"Yep," Doug stated. "But he didn't think the humans would go this far to create a war. From what I heard just before extracting you and the Emperor, they're going to call their attack on you a diclonius attack. With the Prime Minister dead and the Emperor's body missing, they'll probably use it to turn the humans against us."

"I should've seen it coming," Saito hissed with great irritation. "But I haven't had access to any of ARGUS' intelligence apparatus since the coup. Now it seems the same people who launched the coups in ARGUS and SHIVA are doing the same with the Japanese government. They want to enact martial law and exterminate every diclonius in the country. The sad part is that the people are going to go along with this. They won't realize it's just a ruse to take control of the country until it's too late. Only when these people start killing humans who don't go along with their control will they realized that they made a big mistake. Then it'll be too late."

"I'm afraid you're right," Doug agreed. "But the problem is much bigger than that. Akira says the Collective is driving these events. These people may think they're saving their own skins, but they're just assisting in their own demise. The Collective is driving the diclonius to extreme violence and giving the stronger ones the ability to create irrational fear and hate in normal people. Akira told me that a diclonius named Yoshitora, who was a captive of Kakuzawa, is the focal point of this insanity. Supposively, he's allowed the Fury in the Collective to empower him so he can find and merge with Lucy, taking complete control of the Collective."

Saito's face lit up. "That's it! That's the missing piece! I understand now. This is a power play by the Fury of the Collective to destroy everything! What better way to do that than to instigate a war between the diclonius and humanity. We've got to find Lucy and protect her!"

"Relax, Mr. Murata," Doug ordered. "That's where we're going now. I just pray to the gods that we can get there in time. Akira told me to meet him at Tsukumi. From there, he'll take us to Lucy."

Saito looked at the red head and smiled, shaking his hand. "Thank you for the rescue. And I'm sure the Emperor would thank you too, if he were awake."

"You're welcome," Doug answered with a smile. "But don't thank me just yet. We still have to make it to Tsukumi."

A/N: Lazarus is revealed and his name is Bandoh! How will he react to his new status and will he make good on his threats given all that is happening? Moreover, how will Kohta, Lucy, and their family deal with this new, deadlier Bandoh?

Also, the same forces that took control of ARGUS and SHIVA now move to take control of the Japanese Government to enact their Final Diclonius Solution. Will they succeed or just hasten their own demise? How will the forces protecting Lucy and Kohta deal with these new ominous developments? The pieces are in motion, setting the stage for the final battle. Who will prevail in this mass insanity that is coming upon the world? We shall see. Keep reading to find out. As always, reviews are welcome. When reviewing, be honest but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	17. Chapter 17 Awakenings

Chapter 17

Awakenings

Jin Ryu Osabi moaned in his sleep, tossing in his bed, kicking off the blankets. Perspiration drenched his sweat pants. A gasp escaped his lips as his eyes cracked opened. He could barely see the bedroom through the gloom. Dim light filtered in around the blinds and under the door. A groan rose as he touched his bandaged belly, eliciting a sharp pain that caused him to back off the wound quickly. Thirst ravaged his parched throat. "Uh…hello; is anyone here?" he croaked softly.

For a few moments, no one answered, causing a prick of fear to well up in his soul. "Hello…anyone?" Just then, the door slowly creaked open and the silhouette of a woman stood in the blinding light from the hall. Jin instinctively shielded his eyes as the woman stepped into the room, bringing up the lights enough to see. As she slowly brightened the lights, Jin's vision slowly returned. Yet, the glare from the hall prevented him from seeing her clearly. "Who're you?"

She closed the door to a crack and turned to him with a smug expression. "What's the matter, Jin? Can't you sense me?" she cackled. "I must be getting better at hiding my presence." She stepped toward the bed out of the blinding light and shock covered Jin's face. In seconds, Lucy stood over him wearing a plain gray dress, bandages, and a smile that caused Jin to pause.

"Lucy? What're you doing here? How can you block your presence? I never had time to show you how." His voice cracked due to his thirst.

"Oh wouldn't you like to know."

Jin felt a chill race down his spine; his face fell with uncertainty. "Lucy, are you all right?" he asked.

"A more correct question would be are you all right?" she demanded.

"I don't rightly know," Jin admitted. "Something isn't right here and I'm feeling really strange…like I'm not really awake."

Lucy leaned down, looking him in the eye. "You don't say. Well, what is real, Jin? Is any of this real or just a figment of your scarred imagination?" He stared into her eyes and saw the endless cosmos…life and death without end. A wry smile crossed her lips as he gasped. "You're not Lucy! Who the hell are you?"

In the blink of an eye, twenty glowing vectors emerged from her back and penetrated his body, coiling around every part of him except his face. A howl of excruciating pain erupted from him when the vectors snared him. He floated off the bed, suspended in her vectors, completely immobilized, unable to release his vectors. She held him vertically in front of her as he stared in abject terror. "Do not be afraid, Jin Ryu Osabi," she ordered.

"How so?" he countered. "You're the one who's attacked me. Go on…finish me off, whatever you are. But you'll not get Lucy."

She shook her head solemnly. "Jin, Jin…if I wanted you dead, I could've killed you long ago. Let me ask you something. You can feel my vectors, right?"

"Yes," he answered.

"What do the vectors feel like?" she queried. "And think about it before you answer."

For a few moments he didn't speak. Confusion crossed his face. "Your vectors are warm, full of life and light. They remind me of Akira's vectors. Who are you? I know you, yet I don't know you."

"You know who I am," she crowed. "You're a piece of me. I'm here because you've strayed from your purpose and are teetering on the precipice. You've allowed the furies of your kills to poison you. You must not succumb to it. You must tame it; otherwise, your mission will fail. You'll fail her and everyone you're trying to protect."

"No…I can't fail her! I mustn't fail her! Is this why you've captured me…because I've allowed the Fury to touch me?"

"Yes…the Fury has poisoned you because of your recent battle with the royals at Byodoin. The bloodshed that night was unnecessary. You killed them because you wanted to. You enjoyed killing them and absorbing their power."

"No, I didn't!" Jin insisted. "I didn't want to kill them. All I wanted to do was keep Lucy safe."

"On the contrary…you did want to," she retorted. "…and you enjoyed it. You wanted to release your full power and did so without thinking. You would've killed Lucy too if I hadn't sent Kagami to stop you. Your Fury poisons you, Jin. Admit it! You relished and gloried in those kills."

"No…no, Lucy, Kohta…the mission, I…" Jin stammered.

"You enjoyed it!" she snapped, her words cutting through his heart and mind as swiftly as any vector could. "Admit it! You gave place to the Fury! Confess it! I know you did. I saw you slaughter them without mercy and you didn't care…just like those soldiers you killed on the 787 bridge. You didn't have to kill them. You didn't even have to be seen by them. But you did. You wanted to kill those humans, just like you wanted to kill your brothers and sisters at Byodoin. Admit it! I cannot help you if you don't repent of this evil."

Jin eyes grew wide as realization lit his face. "Oh God…what have I done? You're right! I did enjoy it! How could I have let the Fury poison me like that? What do I do now? I've betrayed my Queen. Hypocrite…I'm nothing but a lying shit! I've lied to everyone around me and to myself. How do I atone for this atrocity?"

A broad smile crossed her face. "Excellent, my son…you have faced your deepest sin. Now I can help you." A glowing ball of vectors appeared between them. Within the ball floated a glowing golden puzzle piece. "Do you see this?" she asked.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Your penance, Jin," she answered. "You will take this item and give it to Lucy when the time is right. It's the key to unlocking her full potential." Without warning, she plunged the glowing piece into his chest with her vectors. A deep, primal wail of pain erupted from him. After implanting the puzzle piece, she gently laid him on the bed and released him, healing his wounds with her vectors.

"Why did you do that?" he whispered, barely conscious.

"I'm sorry," she said. "But we don't have the luxury of time. The Fury is escalating and I'm losing ground. Get that key to Lucy."

"How?" he asked. "You buried it in my chest."

"Do you want to know what your destiny is, Jin?"

"I'm not sure. But I think you're going to tell me anyway."

"Your contribution here is pivotal in the battle to come, Jin," she explained, sitting next to him on the bed…stroking his hair. "In order to be allowed into the Collective, you must steel yourself for the greatest sacrifice. You must willingly give your life for Lucy and her friends, and in the process, deliver the key to her, thus saving both human and diclonius alike."

"So I must die?" he whispered, heart sinking into despair.

"Yes," she said. "But not just die in any manner. You must die at Lucy's hand. She will absorb the key as she absorbs your diclonius essence. You're merely a vessel for me to get the key to her. Therefore, you must be extra careful. The Fury will endeavor to take what I've given you by force. If the Fury takes the key, all will be lost. So you must resist the temptation to kill indiscriminately as you did at Byodoin. Give that demon no place. I know you still don't understand what I'm saying, so hear my words and take them to heart. The time will come when you'll understand what I'm asking you to do and you'll know which path to take. It will be in our darkest hour that the actions of a handful of humans and diclonius will shape the destiny of all life on this planet, including what you do. This is your penance. But never fear, death is not the end…only a transition. You'll be able to come into the Collective through Lucy."

"There is no other way?" Jin asked.

"No, Jin Ryu Osabi…there isn't. This is your destiny. Lucy will need your power, strength, knowledge, and cunning to defeat her enemies and reestablish balance to the Collective. She needs you more than you know."

A sigh escaped his lips. "Very well…I guess I can't trump fate or the will of the Collective. All I can hope for is to go down fighting and maybe make a difference in the process."

"Don't be afraid of this task, my son. I am always with you. Now go to sleep and be healed of your injuries."

Jin's eyes fluttered as he asked, "What's your name?"

"Izanami," she whispered in his ear.

Darkness instantly swallowed Jin. Voices began echoing in the darkness, which started to lighten. He felt a hand stroking his head. He moaned and suddenly snapped awake with a gasp. His eyes fell first upon Kagami, who sat on the side of the bed holding his hand, stroking his hair gently. Myra sat opposite of Kagami, checking his vitals. As his eyes scanned the room, he saw Mayu and Nana at the foot of the bed with relieved looks on their faces. Finally, over in the corner he saw Lucy sitting in a chair wearing a plain gray dress, bandages, and a somewhat puzzled look. "Welcome back, my brave samurai," Kagami cooed.

Thirst overtook him and he moaned, "Water…please."

"I'll get it!" Mayu chimed, rushing to get a glass of water with Nana right behind her.

"We were beginning to think you weren't going to ever wake up," Myra stated. "But I'm glad to see you've come out of it. And from what I've seen, your wounds are all but healed up. How do you feel?"

"Like someone tried to rip me to pieces," Jin croaked. "Kagami…what happened? The last thing I remember is killing Ling and a bunch of her minions to save Lucy."

"Well, you saved Lucy and her friends," Kagami explained. "But after you killed those diclonius, you went nuts with the Fury. It had you. Had I not showed up with dad, you would've killed everyone else. I've never seen you that screwed up by a fight. It was almost like you enjoyed it."

Jin's face turned ashen as his eye fell on Lucy in the corner. She sat there staring with a suspicious look. "What's wrong, honey? Did I say something wrong?" Kagami asked.

"No…you didn't. There's something I need to tell everyone. Where's Master Akira?" he asked. Seconds later, Mayu and Nana returned with a glass and pitcher of water.

"Here," Mayu said, handing the glass of water to Kagami who gave it to him. "I'm so glad you're all right, Jin."

Jin nodded with a weak smile as Kagami stated, "Akira isn't here right now, Jin. He has taken a team to Tsukumi to meet up with Saito."

"What…what's happened?" Jin snapped.

"Yoshitora has unleashed the Fury," Kagami explained. "Diclonius all across Japan are starting to rampage in an effort to reach Kamakura. ARGUS and SHIVA have turned against us and now the Japanese Government is doing the same. From what I understand, the crews of the Kraken and Chimera have joined forces in an effort to complete their original mission, in violation of the new orders from their people. That's about all we know for the moment." Jin sipped his water grimly, his strength slowly returning.

"What became of the young man?" Jin asked.

"His name is Kohta," Lucy hissed. "You'd be wise to remember it for he's my choice."

"A thousand pardons, Lucy," Jin replied. "I meant no disrespect. I just wanted to know what happened to him. He didn't die, did he?"

"No…no thanks to you," Lucy growled.

"Lucy…please don't blame him for what happened to Kohta," Kagami begged.

"Then who is to blame?" Lucy demanded.

Kagami looked Lucy in the eye and sighed. "Do you remember a diclonius at the Institute named Yoshitora?"

A quizzical look crossed Lucy's face. "I'm not sure. As far as I know, I was the only one they called by name. Everyone else was a number."

"In that case, what about the one they called Sixty-six?" Kagami queried. The color drained out of Lucy's face as she remembered the face of Sixty-six. "I see," Kagami said softly, interpreting Lucy's reaction. "You do know him. His real name is Yoshitora and he is the King of Japan. Unfortunately, he has somehow been able to tap the Fury of the Collective to enhance his power. He has decided that he is the true King of the Diclonius world and will be the instrument of the Fury's will to eradicate all life from this planet. He is the one who is responsible for this mess and Kohta's predicament."

For a few moments, Lucy shook her head in disbelief. Then anger began to rise, causing her face to flush. "God damn him…I should've known. He has been trying to kill Kohta ever since I survived the ambush on the bridge. He even tried to kill him in our dreams. Jin somehow managed to stop him."

Kagami's eyebrows rose as she brushed a stray hair out of her face. "Indeed? Is this true, Jin? Did you save her and Kohta like she said?"

"I did," Jin murmured. "It was right after Kakuzawa made the mistake of waking Yoshitora. I managed to drive him away. But if the dream I had of the skull-headed diclonius and Angel fighting over a diclonius girl is any indication, he has become the most dangerous diclonius on the planet. He has made it abundantly clear that Lucy belongs to him and will kill anyone who gets in the way. The fact that Kohta is central to his rage means that he is in great peril. Please…can someone tell me what has happened to him? I promised Lucy to protect him with my life. Please Lucy…let me help. Let me make amends for what I did."

"And what exactly did you do that requires you to make amends to me?" Lucy asked coolly.

Jin hesitated. "I…well, I…god damn it!"

Kagami noticed the fear in his eyes and said, "It's okay. You can tell us. We won't condemn you, will we Lucy?"

"I don't know," Lucy returned icily. "I've had this feeling ever since we met that he's been hiding something…something that could hurt us. I know you haven't been completely honest with us."

"You're right, Lucy," Jin stated softly. "I never meant for any of you to get hurt. In fact, I never meant for anyone to get hurt. But the fact is I have been losing my fight with the Fury. I've killed humans and enjoyed it, even when I could have just as easily avoided the confrontation." The room became dead silent. Lucy's face darkened as her suspicion blossomed. "To tell the truth, I lost control at Byodoin," he continued. "I killed them all and I enjoyed it. The Fury utterly took me afterwards and had Kagami not arrived, I might have killed all of you as well. I don't know what happened. I don't even half remember the battle. But there's no excuse for letting the Fury take me like that. I allowed the very thing to happen to me that I warned you about. I am so sorry. I don't know if you can ever forgive me, Lucy. I have to make amends for this terrible sin. Please Lucy…let me make it up to you and everyone. Let me make it right. It's what Izanami wants." Tears streamed down his cheeks as he begged forgiveness.

Lucy stared at the fallen warrior, her anger suddenly waning at the mention of Izanami's name. A deep sympathy for him arose in her that she'd never encountered before. It puzzled her. "I still don't know exactly what is happening here," she admitted. "I'm feeling things stirring that I never felt before; and they're not all good either. But I will admit that something bad happened at the temple that you aren't totally to blame for. I felt that terrible surge in the fury, as you call it. It was all I could do to keep it at bay. I admire you for telling us this. It's confirmed what I thought about you from the beginning though. You're not to be trusted. But by your admitting it, I see you're trying to make it right, which is something I've never seen another diclonius ever do. If you want to make amends, you must start by not holding anything back from me. If you ever allow the fury to take you again, I'll kill you myself. I'll not have you putting Kohta in peril because you can't control your fury, like you claimed to be able to do from the first time we saw you. You must do what I say or you're dead. Do I make myself clear?"

"Absolutely," Jin agreed wholeheartedly. "I'm at your command. What would you have me do first?"

"You must tell Akira what you did," Lucy ordered. "…and do it in front of everyone. Everyone must know."

"It will be done as soon as Master Akira returned, my Queen," Jin said. "No more hiding things from you or anyone else. We can't afford to have any more screw-ups like this. Kagami, can you forgive me?"

Kagami smiled sweetly at him. "Of course I forgive you, Jin. But Lucy's right. You must tell everyone. If you, the strongest of us, can fall to the Fury, then we must be extra vigilant and guard ourselves much more closely. Only as a unit can we hope to win this battle."

"Well said," Myra chimed. "I can see that this Fury is every diclonius' weakness. Anything we can do to help prevent it from taking over will help."

"Can you please tell me what happened to Kohta now?" Jin begged.

Kagami looked at Lucy. "Is it okay to tell him, Lucy?" Lucy nodded and Kagami said, "Kohta is alive and resting comfortably down the hall." At that, she explained what happened to Kohta since the skirmish at Byodoin.

Jin remained quiet for a few moments as he contemplated what had befallen Kohta, including the recent awakening of his diclonius power. When he grasped what happened, he looked at Lucy with a weak smile. "I'm glad you could save him, Lucy. He's a good man and because of the gift you've given him, we may have a fighting chance now. I swear to you by Izanami and my soul, I shall do everything I can to protect and train him in our ways. You have my solemn oath on that."

"We shall see," Lucy replied coolly. "For now, you should endeavor to recover your strength. You're going to need it in order to prove yourself to us." With that, she rose and left the room.

"I hope I can regain her trust," Jin murmured.

"Only time will tell," Kagami said softly.

"Yes…you have your work cut out for you," Myra stated. "And it's not just Lucy you need to convince. You have Mayu, Nana, and Kohta to convince as well."

Jin nodded. "I see your point. I have much to atone for. I just hope I have time to."

Myra smiled and patted him on the hand as she rose. "I think you will. After all, your wounds are completely healed. I'm astounded at how fast it happened. At some point, I hope to understand this healing ability you and Lucy have. Come on, Mayu, Nana…let's go see to Kohta and Yuka." They nodded and followed Myra out of the room.

Kagami looked Jin in the eye. "You must give them time, Jin. They'll forgive you."

Jin took Kagami's hand. "Time's a luxury we don't have, Kagami. Izanami is weakening. We have to move quickly to stem the annihilation the Fury has set in motion. Otherwise, all is lost. Lucy must heal herself and become one before she can rebalance the Collective."

"I know," Kagami agreed. "But all we can do now is wait. The time is not yet." She saw the pained look of helplessness on his face and smiled, caressing his face with her hand. "Don't worry and have faith, Jin. Fate is not ready to dispose of us just yet."

"Let's hope so," Jin stated, his tone dripping with melancholy.

* * *

Kohta moaned softly in his sleep as he stirred in his bed. Deep inside his mind, he experienced every memory since he first encountered Lucy in vivid detail in an endless loop he was powerless to escape. As the memory of Yuka's wounding slowly melted away, the dream abruptly changed. He found himself once again in the movie theater where Yuka sat imprisoned, forced to watch the events of her life over and over again. When he realized where he was, Kohta felt the cold knife of grief and fear turn in his heart. "What the hell…how did I get inside Yuka's mind again?"

Standing at the entrance to the auditorium, he looked down, seeing Yuka still imprisoned in her heavy steel restraints. Her sobs echoed softly throughout the auditorium as the scene of her wounding played out on the screen. "Why?" she sobbed. "Why?"

Kohta found himself drawn to her. As he approached, he noticed that she was responding physically to the screen, unlike the last time when she was catatonic. Her head was sagging and bobbing as she sobbed. "Why Kohta…Why?" she wailed. Yet she seemed oblivious to his approach. "Why did you do that to me? Why did you let that happen? Why?"

In seconds, he sat next to her and touched the heavy metal restraints that held her prisoner. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "I never meant to hurt you, Yuka," he murmured. "I don't know why I'm here again. I still don't know how to free you from this hell." As he looked down at the forearm clamp, he heard a gasp from her. Looking up, he saw her battered face stained with tears, blood, and an astonished look staring at him.

"Kohta…what are you doing here?" she demanded, her tone filled with anger and grief. "Haven't you done enough already?"

The knife of guilt and grief turned again in his heart. "I don't know why I'm here," he replied. "I still don't know how to free you of this prison?"

"I don't want your help," she snapped, her face twisting in hatred and pain. "You're the one who did this to me. I loved you and you rejected me in favor of that freak! Just leave me alone!"

"You don't mean that!"

"I do. I never want to see your cheating face again!" she railed, spitting blood into his face. "Leave me to my pain!"

Kohta wiped the spit out of his face as tears gushed forth. He touched her on the arm and she shouted, "Don't touch me, Kohta. Leave me alone!"

He reached over and held her head firmly in his hands, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Yuka…I cannot. You're my family. I cannot leave you any more than I could leave Lucy, Mayu, or Nana. We're family. I love you, Yuka. Why can't you understand that?" He gently embraced her, crying on her bloody shoulder, despite her violent protests. His deep grief pricked her heart and she hesitated in her protests.

"Kohta…let me go," she pleaded. He complied and saw a look of confusion on her face. "Why do you cry for me like that? I know you love the freak more than me."

Kohta wiped his eyes and nose with his hand. Before he could answer, a familiar voice spoke from the far end of the row of seats, saying, "Because he loves you." Kohta looked up with Yuka at the voice, seeing Lucy in bandages and a plain gray dress walking towards them. "I still don't understand how he can do it, but he can and does."

"What are YOU doing here?" Yuka snapped.

"Believe it or not, I'm here because of Kohta," Lucy replied, sitting next to Yuka opposite of Kohta. "…and because I owe you my life. I'm here simply to return the favor."

Yuka's puzzlement exploded. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you remember? You brought Myra to help treat my wounds instead of letting me die," Lucy answered coolly. "You saved my life by doing that. So I'm here to return the favor."

"Yea, right," Yuka growled. "You're just here to rub my face in the fact you got Kohta and I didn't!"

Lucy's face reddened as Kohta countered, "That's unfair, Yuka, and you know it!"

"And what you did isn't? Did you even consider my feelings?" Yuka demanded.

Lucy started to speak when Kohta blurted out, "Of course I did! How can you say that? I tried to tell you but you just wouldn't listen!"

"She's lost it, Kohta," Lucy declared icily. "There's no reasoning with her."

"That's right!" Yuka railed. "I've 'lost it!' But can you blame me? You took the only person I ever cared about from me! You're the cause of this! If I was free, I'd rip your heart out for what you've done to me!"

Lucy's ears reddened and her fists clenched. Kohta saw the darkening of her countenance and shouted, "Shut your mouth, Yuka! The Yuka I know would never say such a thing! The Yuka I know, jealous as she is, would never even speak of such evil! She's too good a person to stoop to those levels!"

"That Yuka died in the courtyard, Kohta," Yuka hissed, tears of rage and grief flowing. "Now leave me to my pain. Take the bitch and leave me be!"

Yuka's words pricked Lucy's heart for she had felt the same way many times before, reminding her of how Dark Lucy continually tormented her. Her anger waned as she said, "She's out of her mind, Kohta. Her grief and rage have taken control. She has no idea what's happening to her."

"What do you mean I don't know what's happening to me?" Yuka demanded.

Lucy gave Yuka one of her icy glares. "It's just as I said. You haven't a clue as to what's going on or why you're imprisoned in this theater."

"That's what you think! Of course I know what's going on," Yuka snapped. She looked directly at Kohta and hissed, "I'm dead because of you, Kohta, and this is nothing but my version of hell for believing you cared for me."

"Please don't say that," Kohta begged. "Yuka…you aren't dead, just in a coma. These restraints are fashioned by your mind to keep you imprisoned in an endless circle of hate and despair. Don't ask me to explain how, but we're inside your mind, trying to free you from this torment."

"Yea, right Kohta," Yuka scoffed. "You've suddenly developed psychic powers and can invade my mind at will. I suppose the freak can do the same since she is here too. Well, that's just fine. You two freaks can just leave me the hell alone. I want nothing to do with either of you ever again."

Lucy reached out and slapped Yuka viciously. "You stupid little bitch…you don't realize what Kohta has risked in order to do this. In fact, you have no idea of what's happened since the attack."

"Lucy…don't hit her like that!" Kohta rebuked. "She has enough problems without you adding to it!"

"Sorry," Lucy mumbled. "But we don't have the luxury of time, Kohta. Yuka's on the verge of waking and we need to prove to her that we aren't the enemy."

"That is so true, my daughter," a voice called out from the front of the auditorium. All eyes turned to the intruder and gasps followed. For walking towards them from the screen was another Lucy in a plain gray dress. Yuka blinked, not believing her eyes as the new Lucy suddenly leaned over the seat in front of her. Kohta stared in disbelief and Lucy's mouth hung open. A pleasant smile crossed the twin Lucy's face as she looked at Kohta. "It's good to see you again, Kohta. I'm very pleased with your progress."

"Who are you?" Lucy asked her twin, looking deep into her eyes and seeing the endless cosmos filled with life and death.

"You know who I am, my daughter," the twin answered.

"Izanami…is that you?" Kohta breathed.

"Very good, Kohta…you remember me from our last encounter," Lucy's twin, Izanami, answered. "But I must be brief."

Yuka stared, completely dumbfounded by the interchange. Suddenly, she found her tongue as her face flushed with rage. "Just one wasn't enough, was it? Now you have two! Is Nana part of your harem, too? What about Mayu? I've had it with your lies, Kohta! Just go with your freak girlfriends and leave me the hell alone!"

Kohta's face reddened as he snapped, slapping her. "I don't believe you! Even now, you refuse to see the truth! I'm not sleeping with Izanami, or Nana, or Mayu, or even Lucy! Shit, you didn't even ask who Izanami was, for crying out loud! I'm here because I care for you! If I didn't, I would've let you die in the courtyard! But I didn't! We're family, Yuka! We're blood kin! Why can't you understand that? Of course, you're still not going to believe me because you're still blinded with rage and jealousy! I should just…"

"Kohta…that's enough," Izanami said coldly, staring deep into his eyes. "Don't let that rage feed the Fury. I'll deal with your cousin." Kohta felt a violent chill race down his spine at Izanami's look.

Lucy remained silent with a look of utter puzzlement. Kohta rose, stepped back, and turned away; his anger and grief boiling in his face. Izanami leaned in, gazing into Yuka's defiant, hate-filled eyes. Her defiance suddenly melted away as she saw the endless universe in Izanami's eyes, feeling the power emanating from her. Yuka's mouth fell open as Izanami touched her on the forehead with a single finger. "Your pain is as great as any I've seen in a human, Yuka. But you misjudge Kohta and us. His love for you is as unbreakable as it is for Lucy."

"What are you?" Yuka whispered, chills of fear racing down her spine.

"I'm the first diclonius, the very first of my kind," Izanami stated. "All diclonius come from me and must eventually return to me, even Lucy and Kohta."

"What do you mean?" Yuka asked. "Kohta isn't one of you. How can he return to you?"

"You don't know what has happened since your misfortune in the courtyard," Izanami stated. "So I have come to enlighten you." Turning to Kohta, she ordered, "Kohta, sit down and show Yuka on the screen what you have endured since that fateful night."

Kohta sat down. "How might I do that?" he asked. "This is Yuka's mind and those are her memories on the screen."

"Use your emerging power to take control of the projector," Izanami declared. "Lucy, you should help, being that you are linked with him by blood now. Show Yuka the truth of the situation as you know it."

"How?" Lucy asked.

Izanami touched both Lucy and Kohta on the hand. "See your power and how to use it. But be gentle. Yuka is very fragile right now," Izanami declared. "Only when she can see and accept the truth will you be able to free her of her prison." Lucy and Kohta saw a glimpse of Izanami's nearly limitless power, intelligence, and knowledge as she imparted the knowledge of what to do with her touch. Looking Yuka in the eye, Izanami added, "Yuka…only when you let go of your jealousy and hate for Kohta and Lucy will you be free of this place. Look closely at what they show you and choose your fate. I pray to the gods you choose life and not the darkness and pain of the Fury that you're in right now. I must go now for the Fury is on the attack again." In a blink, Izanami vanished, leaving the trio speechless.

Utterly confused, Yuka stated coldly, "Okay Kohta, show me, if you can, what has happened. But I seriously doubt you can change my mind."

Kohta leaned forward and looked at Lucy. "I sure hope Izanami knows what she's doing."

"So do I," Lucy agreed. "Let's do this."

Kohta nodded and concentrated. A single vector emerged from his back, causing a jerk. Lucy sent out one of her vectors too. The two vectors reached into the projection room of the theater and stopped the endless loop of Yuka's memories, carefully severing the feed to the projector. Kohta's vector plugged into the projector and his memories began flooding onto the screen, starting with the moment Lucy showed up at the door that fateful evening. Every action and thought flashed out on the screen for Yuka to see.

Yuka's eyes grew wide when she realized that the endless loop of her memories had stopped. She stared at Kohta as he concentrated, noticing a slightly red tinge to his eyes. When the movie started with Kohta's memories, she instantly became engrossed in it for she saw, heard, and felt every emotion in his memories, same as she had for hers. She saw the fight they had and her fall at the gate of Kaeda house. Tears welled up as she saw his flash nightmare vision just before the hail of bullets riddled her chest. Gasps escaped her lips when she saw how he saved Mayu and Nana in the kitchen, followed by the excruciating pain he endured. Most importantly, she saw how he loved both Lucy and her and how he placed himself in danger repeatedly to save both of them in the van. His very soul became an open book to not just her, but to Lucy as well. She witnessed everything Kohta had, including the transfusion Lucy gave him. When the movie of Kohta's memories ended, she realized how much he'd sacrificed for everyone. Sobs bubbled up out of her as he looked at her with a drained look.

"Now you know," he said softly. "I love you, Yuka. But you must understand, Lucy has always had my heart, despite what she did. Everyone deserves a second chance. I gave Lucy that chance and I'm hoping you'll forgive me and give me a second chance too."

"Yuka, I love Kohta," Lucy stated. "But I couldn't see how he could love you like he does. That is until now. Whether you want to believe it or not, we've seen his very soul. It's humbling to see how much he loves everyone. He has enough love for everyone. So please, let him, let us help you. I know what it's like to be full of hate and rage because of betrayals."

Yuka looked down at the floor, feeling remorse for how she treated Kohta. Bloody tears dripped on her chest. "Kohta…I think I understand now. Can you forgive me for being such a pain?"

A smile crossed his face as he touched her cheek with his hand. "Of course I do, Yuka. After all, I forgave Lucy and she did me a lot worse than you did. Why would I not forgive my favorite cousin and best friend? The only thing is can you accept me now, the way I am now? I'm like Lucy now. But I'll still love and protect you no matter what happens."

Yuka's lips trembled as she looked into Kohta's eyes. "It'll take some getting used to, but yes. I will." She turned to Lucy. "Nyu, forgive me for being so jealous and saying all those terrible things about you. Will you take care of Kohta for me? He tends to be a little lazy on occasion, but he has a good heart. Promise me you'll love him the way I wanted to love him."

A soft smile crossed Lucy's lips. "I will. But don't you worry. Despite what you think, you're not dead, Yuka. You're merely in a coma. Do you want to be free of this? Will you accept our help?"

"I'm really not dead?" Yuka asked.

"No," Kohta answered. "It's just as Lucy said. Please, trust me. Trust us."

Looking into Kohta's eyes, she felt a warm surge race down her spine…the first she'd felt since she awoke in the theater. "Not dead?" she queried.

"Not dead," Kohta reassured her. "But if you don't break out of these restraints soon, you will die. I don't want you to die. I don't think I could bear it."

"I don't want to die, Kohta. Can you get me out of here?" Yuka asked. The restraints suddenly began to crackle, heating up. "Kohta…help me! The restraints...they're roasting me!"

He jumped up and, by instinct, unleashed his four vectors, slicing through the restraints in seconds. They crumbled into dust and Yuka slumped. Lucy caught her as the whole auditorium groaned and shook. Dust began falling. "We have to get out of here!" Lucy barked, jumping up with Yuka in her arms.

The main entrance collapsed with a roar. Kohta looked around wildly for a way of escape. "We've lingered here too long!" Lucy announced.

"Yuka…is there another way out?" Kohta asked.

"Behind the screen," she moaned. In the blink of an eye, Lucy, Yuka, and Kohta raced behind the screen, seeing a small door. Lucy smashed it open with her vectors without a thought. At the same moment, the ceiling came down as they reached the door. Kohta caught it with his vectors, holding up the building as Lucy and Yuka plunged through the portal of light. Kohta groaned, his strength waning. His vectors abruptly gave way as two vectors emerged from the doorway, grabbing and pulling him through the portal while the theater crumbled around him.

When Kohta regained his wits, he saw Yuka lying in a field of flowers with Lucy kneeling next to her. Lucy had a relieved smile. Kneeling next to Yuka, he saw her nude form fading away with a smile on her lips. "Thank you, Kohta," she whispered, her voice echoing on the wind.

Lucy breathed a heavy sigh and sat down. She reached out and grasped Kohta's hand. "Again, you surprise me, Kohta. You have again proved humanity isn't worthy of extinction."

"I just hope Yuka remembers what we did here."

"I'm sure she will," Lucy returned. "Now, let's get out of here before we get caught in here."

Kohta nodded and he thought of his body. Darkness swallowed him and Lucy. Slowly, she vanished from his sight. The darkness became warm as a voice said, "Well done, my son. Well done."

The darkness lightened and muffled voices echoed in the background. As the voices became clear, Kohta opened his eyes, seeing Lucy leaning over him with a smile on her face. "Welcome back, Kohta," she crowed, kissing him gently on the lips.

"Lucy," he moaned. "What happened? What happened to Yuka?"

"Nothing," Lucy answered. "She's still in a coma."

"Did you see…" Kohta began.

Lucy put her finger to his lips. "Shhh…it's all right, Kohta. Don't worry about it. Your cousin's going to be okay."

"I must go see her right now," Kohta insisted, latching onto Lucy's arm.

"I'm not sure you're strong enough to move around yet," Lucy returned.

Kohta pulled himself up with a groan. "I have to go now. Something just happened involving Yuka. I know it! I have to go see her."

"Okay…since you're insisting, let me help you," Lucy stated. She gently picked Kohta up with her vectors and carried him to Yuka's room, where Yuka lay looked up to an IV drip.

Myra checked Yuka's vitals while Mayu and Nana watched. When they saw Lucy bring Kohta in, Mayu and Nana beamed with delight.

"Kohta! You're finally up!" Mayu chimed.

Nana fell on Kohta's neck with a hug. "I'm so glad you're all right."

Kohta smiled, returning the embrace. "Me too, Nana. I just needed to come see Yuka. Lucy, let's go over to the bed."

Lucy nodded, taking him over to the bed and gently sitting him on the side, and then sitting down next to him. "How is she?" Kohta asked Myra.

"She's doing very well," Myra stated, standing back. "But she hasn't woke…" Her sentence was cut off by a moan from Yuka. Her eyes grew wide as she rushed to Yuka's side, again checking her pulse. Mayu and Nana stood at the foot of the bed with baited breath, hoping against hope.

Yuka moaned again and stirred. Myra leaned down, calling to her. "Yuka…Yuka, can you hear me? Come on, sweetie…wake up."

Kohta reached out, grasping Yuka's hand and holding it. "Yuka…can you hear me, Yuka?"

Yuka stirred and sighed deeply. Her eyelids flickered for a few moments, and then cracked open. She coughed and blinked several times before focusing on Kohta. A weak smile crossed her face as she squeezed his hand. "Kohta," she whispered.

Tears burst from Kohta's eyes as he kissed her hand. "Yuka…I missed you."

She nodded as Mayu and Nana jumped up and down in utter delight, hugging each other. They rushed forward, tears flowing. "Yuka…you're awake!" Mayu cried. "We missed you so much!"

"So did I," Yuka croaked. "Don't cry, Nana. It'll be okay."

Myra smiled and back away, letting Mayu and Nana lavish their affection on Yuka. After a few moments, she ordered, "Okay, Mayu, Nana…let her have some space. She still isn't well yet. Why don't you go tell everyone that Yuka's awake?" Mayu and Nana immediately rushed out of the room to relay the good news. "Now that we have those two out of the way, how do you feel, Yuka?"

Yuka looked sleepily at Myra. "Very weak and fatigued."

"Do you remember what happened?" Myra asked.

For a few moments, she didn't respond, looking deep into Kohta's eyes. "Some of it," she admitted. "I was furious at Kohta about something. I left the house and after that, a blank."

Kohta looked away, again feeling the knife of guilt and grief ripping his heart. "You don't remember anything?"

"Kohta," Yuka whispered. "The only thing I remember after leaving the house is gunfire and your voice begging me not to die. After that, nothing. But you know what, I'm glad it was your face I woke to. It shows me you still do care."

"It's the least I could do after all the hell I've caused you," Kohta replied softly. "Can you forgive me?"

"Of course," Yuka murmured. "I love you like a brother." A weak smile crossed her face as she winked.

Kohta's mouth dropped open for a moment. When the surprise wore off, a smile crossed his face. "Thanks, Yuka. We'll talk later when you're stronger."

"That's good," she replied. "Is that Nyu sitting next to you?"

Kohta tucked his head. "Yea. Lucy is sitting here."

"So Lucy is your real name?" Yuka asked.

"Yes," Lucy answered.

"Could you come around here so I can see you, Lucy?"

Lucy moved in beside Kohta and held on to his arm. Yuka looked Lucy in the eye and nodded. "Yes…you're Lucy, not Nyu. I remember your eyes." She paused for several moments, gathering her breath. "Take care of Kohta for me, Lucy. He's your responsibility now. Love him as I have and don't let anyone take him from you. Otherwise, you'll regret it forever."

Lucy glanced at Kohta, and then back to Yuka. "I don't think that's going to be a problem. What about you? I know how much you loved him."

"It's okay," Yuka whispered. "I know he still loves me. That's all that matters." Her eyes fluttered and she fell asleep as they watched.

Tears streamed down Kohta's cheeks as Myra checked Yuka's vitals. "She's just asleep and will be all right now," Myra stated. "How did you know she was going to wake up, Kohta?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted, laying Yuka's hand down. "Something just told me that I needed to be down here right now." He glanced at Lucy, who nodded.

Myra remained silent for a few moments, looking at Kohta with a quizzical look. A smile crossed her lips. "Stranger things have happened before. But I'm glad you were here when she woke. It did her good to see your face first. By the way, how are you feeling?"

"A bit strange, but all right. I'm still weak, though," Kohta replied.

"That's to be expected considering the trauma you took," Myra stated. "But your color is much better now. Since you're up, why don't you and Lucy go out and get some fresh air."

"That sounds like a good idea," Lucy said. "This place has the prettiest garden I've ever seen."

Kohta glanced at Lucy with a smile. "I would like to see the sky again. I'm having trouble remembering the last time I saw the sky."

"Then don't wait around. Sunset is in about twenty minutes," Myra stated. "Go to the west garden and you'll not be disappointed." Kohta heaved himself up slowly with Lucy helping to support him. "Let him walk some, Lucy," Myra added. "I'll help him regain his strength." Lucy nodded and helped Kohta walk out of the room. Myra smiled and finished tending to Yuka.

Minutes later, Kohta and Lucy sat on bench in the west garden, looking out over the mountains to the west. As the sun sank slowly behind the mountains, Kohta gripped Lucy's hand. She leaned in close, putting an arm around him and enjoying the brief moment of peace. Yet she could feel the darkness of the Fury rising like a storm in the distance. It troubled her.

"Lucy," Kohta murmured.

"Yes, Kohta."

"I'm scared, Lucy. I don't think I've ever been this scared."

"So am I," Lucy admitted. "I'm not sure what it is I'm supposed to do."

"But you know something," Kohta answered. "I'm glad you're with me. I feel that when we're together, nothing is impossible. Somehow, someway we'll find a way to get though this and then we can live in peace."

Lucy's heart quivered at his words. "I feel the same way." With that, they watched the sun slowly sink into the western mountains as they held each other, just enjoying each other's company.

* * *

A/N: Again, I apologize for the delay in posting this latest chapter. Schoolwork has sopped up much of my time. Anyway, Jin is back in action with a major penance to deal with because of his actions at Byodoin. Will he do as Izanami commanded him and let Lucy kill him for the good of the planet or will the Fury completely take him? We shall see. Also, Yuka has awakened from her coma with the help of Kohta, Lucy, and Izanami. Will she remember what happened in the theater or will she continue to hold a grudge? How will she react to the new world that she finds herself in? Keep reading to find out. As always, reviews are welcome. When reviewing, be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	18. Chapter 18 Kaeda and Mayu

Chapter 18

Kaeda and Mayu

At 2 a.m., Mayu sat alone on the east terrace of Akira's safe house, staring at the starry skies. Sleep had eluded her for the last several hours. Too much weighed on her young mind, driving her outside to the terrace. The frogs bellowed and crickets chirped in the cool night air. Every so often, an owl would hoot. A waxing crescent moon hung high in the western sky with the river of the Milky Way overhead. She gazed intently into the heavens, as if to divine a reason for the atrociously bad luck she and her adoptive family had been subjected to recently. A feeling of utter insignificance swept over her, compounding the feeling of helplessness she felt in light of everything that had happened. Tears began to rise and soft sobs bubbled forth…a spring of grief that finally found a vent. Her grief was so deep that she didn't notice a figure watching her intently from the doorway to the house. Tears streamed down Mayu's cheeks as she stared at the deep infinity of the heavens. Without warning, Lucy stood next to her wearing a long gray bathrobe, looking up into the sky with her.

A small squeal of surprise escaped Mayu's lips. "Lucy…what're you doing out here?"

Lucy refused to respond for a few moments, taking in the serenity of the moment. "I couldn't sleep…," she finally answered. "…I find this place so soothing. It's the first real place I've found where I'm at peace. Why are you out here this time of night? You do know it's 2 a.m., don't you?"

"I couldn't sleep either," Mayu replied softly. "Everything's so messed up and I feel so helpless because of it."

"I can't argue with that," Lucy muttered. "How things got this bad I don't know. I just don't understand what it is I'm supposed to do or how to do it. It's infuriating."

"I know what you mean," Mayu replied softly. "So much has happened so quickly that I feel like a leaf driven in the wind. I mean, what can I do? I don't have any special abilities like you or Nana. I feel I should be helping out somehow, but I just don't know what it is I'm supposed to do, being just a kid and all."

Lucy glanced at her with a sigh. "You underestimate your worth, Mayu. How I envy your life…the life of a normal girl. That's all I've ever wanted…a normal life with Kohta. But it's not to be."

Mayu's mouth dropped open. "You envy me…how can you say that? My life has been anything but normal! I had parents so abusive I had to run away and only found peace when Kohta and Yuka took me in, same as they did for you. They gave me a real family. Now I feel like I'm losing them because of what's happening. The whole world has gone nuts and I don't want to lose anyone else, even you. I look to you as an older sister who knows much more about the world than I do. Sometimes I find myself wishing I'd been born with those invisible arms like you, so I could be of some help."

Lucy's face darkened with a scowl. "Don't you ever wish that! You have no idea the grief and heartache being a diclonius has brought me. Being a diclonius has robbed me of everything normal people take for granted. I'd never want something like that to befall you." Mayu's face fell with shock.

"You really mean that?"

"Yeah," Lucy replied softly, looking up at the sky. "A life of hate and violence doesn't suit you. And that's what your life would be like if you were like me. You're much too naïve about people and the world."

"No arguments there," Mayu murmured. "But I just don't understand why everyone wants to kill us. What did we ever do to them?"

A sigh escaped Lucy's lips. "We exist. That's all the reason they need. They fear me because of what I am and hate you because you don't treat me the same way they do."

"That's no reason to kill us!" Mayu retorted. "Why can't they just leave us alone?"

"That's a question I'd like answered myself," Lucy admitted. "I suppose they think I'm just too dangerous a freak to let live." A soft tone of despair oozed from her words.

"That's not true! You're not just a freak. You're a human being and my big sister. I'd do anything for you." Mayu's eyes grew wide as she realized she was speaking from her heart and not her head.

Lucy turned her gaze to Mayu with a look of shock, tears rising in her eyes. "Why are you so kind to me, even after all the trouble I've caused you, Kohta, Yuka, and Nana? Why would you even consider me an older sister?"

"That's because we're family," Mayu declared. "You ARE my older sister. We may not be blood-kin like Kohta and Yuka are, but we are sisters nonetheless. We're adoptive sisters and what more, we're soul sisters. Both of us know the betrayal of loved ones and the bitterness it causes. I know that the betrayal and abuse I endured doesn't come close to yours, but that still doesn't mean we aren't family. And as family, we can help and love each other. Please don't forbid me calling you my older sister. I love you just as much as I love Nana and the others. I love you as my sister…all of you and all of your parts, even the part that Kohta claims killed his family. All you need to do is accept my love."

Lucy found herself without words. Mayu had accepted her as she was, without reservation. It reminded her of how Aiko accepted her years before. Tears streamed down her cheeks and Lucy suddenly groaned…gritting her teeth as her eyes clenched shut. Moments later, Lucy became very calm and collected, with a different gleam in her eye when she opened them. Mayu noticed the change and asked, "Lucy, are you all right? Lucy?"

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Lucy gazed at Mayu. A pleasant smile crossed her lips. "You have such a kind heart and soul, Mayu," Lucy answered in a slightly altered voice that sounded much older and experienced…as if she were twenty years older. "Lucy still has trouble accepting kindness from humans."

Mayu's eyes widened again. "Lucy?"

Lucy's grin broadened. "No Mayu…I'm not Lucy. I'm Kaeda, Lucy's connection to Izanami in the Collective. Don't be afraid."

Mayu felt an icy chill race down her spine as everything she heard about Lucy and the Collective flooded back to her remembrance. "Then…what everyone has said about you is true. You really do have four personalities."

"Yes, Mayu…everything you've heard is correct. What Jin and Akira said about the Collective is also true."

"Then why have you come out now when no one has seen you except for Kohta?"

"I've come to help you understand the nature of what's happening, Mayu," Kaeda explained. "You have such a pure spirit, full of love and life. I've seen and experienced the love you share with everyone and I know you're struggling with how to deal with this situation."

"How could you tell?" Mayu asked, astounded.

"You forget that we're the Queen of all Diclonius…Lucy, Nyu, Dark Lucy, and I. As the Queen, we have an extraordinarily powerful telepathic ability. We can sense thoughts not just in other diclonius, but in humans as well when we're in close proximity. We sensed your turmoil and I took the reins when Lucy retreated to help you deal with this problem since you have shown us such kindness. Besides, your problem is written all over your face and in your body language. We didn't need to use our telepathy to see it."

"Was it that obvious?"

"Yes, it was," Kaeda replied. "But you must never doubt yourself or your place with Kohta and his family. You're a calming influence on the whole family. Your kindness and gentleness has proven very useful at times in keeping your adoptive family together. Everything you've said and done has helped to guide us to this very moment. The way you spoke to Yuka when Kohta came after me, the way you helped to calm her jealousy, the way you stood with Kohta when Bandoh came after us, the way you helped to treat not just his wounds, but Yuka's, Kohta's, and mine as well: these are just a few instances of where you were the deciding factor. Do you really think that Bandoh would have hesitated in killing Kohta if he hadn't found you with him in the kitchen?"

Mayu's mouth dropped open. "How do you know all this? I never told anyone about how Bandoh cornered us."

Kaeda patted Mayu on the shoulder with a smile. "Simple, Mayu…we know this not just from Kohta, whom we have a telepathic and blood link with now, but from you through my telepathic prowess. Unlike Lucy, I have long mastered control of our vectors. When I'm in control, as I am now, I can use them with ease. I merely peeked at your memory with a single vector to see what happened. I'm so skilled at my vector control that you didn't even know I was doing it."

Mayu suddenly felt violated by this news. A frown formed on her lips. "You read my mind without me knowing it? That's just not right! You should've asked first. You just can't go around knocking around inside other people's heads without their knowledge or permission."

"Oh…I'm sorry. I didn't know it was wrong," Kaeda murmured. "We've always done what was necessary to get by."

"But that's still no reason to do that," Mayu stated. "I would've gladly let you look if you had just asked."

"Then next time, we'll ask," Kaeda declared. "I meant no ill will from it."

Mayu's frown relaxed. "It's okay. I just never thought Lucy would read my mind the way she did Myra's. It's a little disconcerting."

"I suppose it is," Kaeda replied, settling next to Mayu on the cushion. "But you must remember, Lucy didn't read your mind, I did. When Lucy read Myra's mind, it was a bit rough. She lacks the finesse that I have. I'm trying to teach her, but she's hard-headed."

Mayu chuckled softly. "Yeah…I kind of noticed that. But since you made a special effort to speak to me, what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

Kaeda's tone turned dark and serious. "Mayu…time is running out for everyone. In the hours and days ahead, I want you to do exactly what you've always done…be our friend and not betray us. Believe it or not, Izanami, who has a limited view of the future, has let me know that you may prove to be a crucial player in the battle to come. Don't doubt yourself, your love, or your humanity. Just remember, even the smallest person can change the future and fate of the planet."

An extremely worried look came over Mayu's face. "How can you say that? No one knows the future."

"So true," Kaeda returned. "The future is not set. That's why I said even the smallest person, such as you, can have effect on the course of events. Exactly how you will shape the future, Izanami wouldn't share with me. She just wants you to know that your love and humanity are your most potent weapons in what's to come. We have faith in you, Mayu. Trust your instincts and you'll have a profound effect on the outcome of the coming battle…much more that you may realize. Don't worry about what to do. When the time comes, you'll make the right choice…and in the process, save your family. So don't feel so helpless, because you're not. You have mighty protectors. You want to know a little secret?"

Mayu began to feel like she was floating in a dream. A stunning numbness of the mind began to fill her as she asked, "What secret would that be?"

"It was no accident that you and Nana first met and have been together ever since," Kaeda replied. "You see, Izanami controls the diclonius world just as much as the Fury does. Izanami saw to it that you and Nana first met, becoming fast friends. Nana doesn't realize it, but she's your guardian angel. Every diclonius has a reason for being here. Nana's reason for being here is not just to serve Lucy and the Collective, but to be your protector. Why do you think she ran off when she sensed Mariko coming after her? She was trying to protect you and Lucy. Even Lucy was protecting you to a point when she faced Mariko, though she did it more for Kohta. But she remembered your kindness and didn't want to see you or Yuka killed. That is why they acted in the manner they did. Izanami was guiding them."

"So they don't have a say in how they act?" Mayu asked in confusion.

"Of course they have a say," Kaeda declared. "Unlike the Fury, which poisons us and forces us into a path of self-annihilation, Izanami gives us the option of free will. Without free will, we cannot grow. We do not gain the full realm of knowledge and experience that will allow the Collective to grow and mature. These diclonius that are rampaging right now are being forced down that path by the Fury, instead of letting them grow and mature as a proper soul should."

"I still don't understand," Mayu admitted. "This is far beyond me. I just can't see how the Collective can do all this or how Nana is my guardian angel."

A sigh escaped Kaeda's lips. "I know. I can see your confusion and worry. I'm afraid I've only exacerbated your worry. But there is a way I can give you understanding."

"How?"

"The same way I read your mind. But I won't do it unless you want me to. With a little tweak of my vectors, I can show you where you fit into this conundrum. Do you want me to do that?" Kaeda asked.

The confusion and worry within Mayu tormented her. After a few moments, she said, "If you can show me how I can help and not feel so helpless, go ahead. I know you will not hurt me. You're good, like Nyu. I can see that."

Kaeda smiled in a motherly fashion. "I'll show you just what you asked for and not a thing more. When you are ready to learn more, we'll be more than willing to teach you. Now close your eyes and relax." Mayu closed her eyes, trying to calm herself without success. Kaeda saw this and spun a single vector from Lucy's back, sending into the depths of Mayu's brain with the precision of a robotic surgeon.

Mayu suddenly felt herself relax. A smile crossed her lips. Then a gasp escaped her lips and tears gushed forth as Kaeda showed her with her own memories where she belonged and how she could help. Every memory of every deed she did for her adoptive family, even for the puppy, Wanta, flashed through her mind, followed by the results of those decisions. She suddenly understood where she belonged, how to help, and most importantly, that she had powerful friends who would protect her at all costs. It was everything that Kaeda had already stated, except distilled down into a form that Mayu could understand. Her worry and fear subsided as a broad smile crossed her lips. Kaeda retracted her vector when the task was complete. "Do you understand now, Mayu?"

Mayu fell upon Kaeda's next with a loving embrace. "Yes…and thank you. I don't feel so helpless now. All you were trying to tell me is to keep on doing what I've been doing all along. I'll do everything I can. Is there anything I can do to help you and Lucy to finally get together with your other pieces like they should?"

"Not at the moment," Kaeda replied. "You'll know when the time is right to help us. But just remember, it'll take more than just you to help reconcile us. It's going to take all of you working together to heal the damage to Lucy's psyche. Now, I suggest that you go to bed. It's very late and you need your rest. Tomorrow will be here before you know it and who knows what will come."

"Thanks, Kaeda," Mayu answered as they stood up. Kaeda remained silent as a blank look crossed her face. Mayu noticed it and asked, "Kaeda?"

Lucy suddenly shut her eyes and shook her head as if waking up. Her gaze fell upon Mayu, who had a concerned look. "What?" Lucy asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

A soft smile crossed Mayu's lips as she recognized Lucy. "Oh, it's nothing, Lucy. I think I'm going to go back to bed. I'm suddenly very sleepy."

"Suit yourself," Lucy mumbled. "I'm going to stay out here a little longer."

"You want me to stay?" Mayu offered.

"No…I'll be all right. I just need to clear my head."

"Just let me know if you need anything, Lucy," Mayu offered. "Good night."

Lucy grunted in response as Mayu walked into the house. As she walked into the house, Mayu thought, _I hope I can be as much a help as Kaeda believes I can. I certainly am going to try._

Nana moaned in her sleep, tossing and kicking off the covers as Mayu entered the bedroom given to them by Akira. Mayu paused in the dim light, gazing upon Nana and shaking her head sympathetically. She walked over and covered Nana back up with the blanket before settling into the second bed sitting next to Nana's bed. Mayu pulled the covers up to her chin and squirmed a bit, trying to get comfortable. The soft pillow formed around her head as a wave of sleepiness washed over her. Nana mumbling in her sleep was Mayu's last memory before sleep overtook her. A distant, low rumble echoed in the darkness of Mayu's sleeping mind. Mayu tensed as dreams intruded into her rest.

She relived past memories, going back to the time when her parents abused her. As quickly as they came, the dreams/memories faded away. Then the dreams changed. Mayu found herself alone on the beach where she, Yuka, and Nana found Kohta that fateful night. A full moon hung in the sky over Kamakura bay. The surf died with the wind as a bone-chilling cold descended upon her from the bay. Her breath condensed visibly as she wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. "What's going on?" she whispered. "Where is everyone and why is it so cold all of a sudden?"

Suddenly, Mayu noticed the full moon turning blood red in an accelerated lunar eclipse. A low, ghostly moan rose from the water that sent chills down her spine. Her first instinct was to flee. Yet she found her body unresponsive…paralyzed as she stood there, staring into the deep. Panic rose in her when she discovered the paralysis. Then an enormous fireball appeared out of the heavens, blazing with crimson flame, casting shadows as it streaked towards the bay. Mayu felt her hair stand on end as an electrical charge filled the air. The fireball roared as it fell into the sea. A brilliant flash followed, temporarily blinding her. The boom and shockwave followed two seconds later, sending her airborne. She landed roughly with a cry, tumbling through tall grass. Mayu pushed to her knees, shook her head, and rubbed her eyes, finding the paralysis gone.

When her vision returned, she discovered that she no longer stood on the beach, but on a grassy mountaintop just to the south of Kamakura, looking at a mushroom cloud rising from the bay. A fifty-foot tsunami struck the waterfront, destroying everything in its path as a firestorm from the mushroom cloud followed right behind the wave, incinerating everything else. Mayu stared in numbed horror as the screams of the dying in Kamakura reached her ears. She clenched her eyes shut and covered her ears, trying to blot out the calamity. Abruptly, all became quiet. The death-cries vanished as she felt a hand touch her shoulder, followed by a whisper saying, "Mayu."

Instinctively, she jerked away from the hand, rolling on the ground. When she opened her eyes, she saw nothing but a gray void out beyond a ten-foot perimeter. It reminded her of being lost in a dense fog. "Hello? Where am I? Is anyone here?"

An icy chill raced down her spine as her breath condensed in front of her. "Hello? Anyone?"

The void flashed in response, followed by a low rumble. Fear gripped Mayu's heart and paralyzed her mind. She saw a ghostly form moving in the void beyond her bubble. "Hello? Who are you?" Her heart jackhammered her chest, making her light-headed.

The form, at first wandering in the void, came directly to her. A familiar voice called from the form. "Mayu…is that you?"

When Nana, wearing pajamas, stepped out of the void into view, tears of relief burst forth on Mayu's cheeks. Nana's eyes grew wide and she rushed to Mayu, wrapping her arms around her. "I don't understand," Nana whimpered. "Where are we and how did we get here?"

"I don't know," Mayu whispered. "The last thing I remember is watching a meteor destroy Kamakura. What's going on here?"

"I wish I knew," Nana answered. "But I'm scared to death. There's something in this fog…something very bad. I can feel it."

Suddenly, a ghostly form appeared just outside of their bubble with a rumble. "Who's there?" Nana snapped, becoming very protective of Mayu.

A couple of glowing eyes appeared in the form. "I'm not going to let you hurt my friend!" Nana declared.

"I know you won't," the form answered smoothly. It stepped forward just inside the bubble of coherence. Mayu and Nana gasped, seeing Lucy with glowing white eyes that seemed to encompass the entire universe. "I don't intend to hurt either of you. But I'm here to warn you. You are all in great danger. Your sanctuary is discovered and the very fate of both of our species hangs in the balance," the white-eyed Lucy declared. "Mayu…remember what Kaeda told you and don't hesitate to use your gifts to help your family. Show us why humanity is not doomed. Nana…you are to protect this girl as you would the Queen. Your bond to her is strong. Draw on that bond and friendship to protect her and your adoptive family. That is your purpose for being."

Mayu and Nana stared at the white-eyed Lucy, astounded by the words. When the words came, Mayu blurted out, "Who are you and where are we?"

"I am Izanami and you're inside the Collective," the white-eyed Lucy stated. "I snatched you from the destruction set in motion by the Fury. What you saw with the meteor is what the Fury will do to the whole world if it is not checked. It's your destiny to witness this apocalypse and possibly stop it." Izanami saw Mayu's fearful look and added, "Do not fear…I have many warriors who will fight to protect you, your family, and all humans who believe as you do. The pieces are almost in place and then the battle will begin. Don't underestimate your contribution for it may be the crucial decision that sets our fate to life or death for everyone. Now go back…both of you and remember, for the time is short." Izanami backed out of the bubble, vanishing into the void. Darkness suddenly swallowed both Nana and Mayu as they clung to each other.

Both Mayu and Nana woke at the same time, bolting to a sitting position in their beds. Tears streamed down Nana's face as she looked into Mayu's face with confusion. "What's going on? I dreamed someone named Izanami told me to protect you."

Mayu's face paled. With a quiver on her voice, she replied, "That's what I dreamed. Why would we have the same dream?"

"I don't know," Nana whispered. "But I can sense something coming…something very bad. Why did Izanami tell you to remember what Kaeda told you? Who's Kaeda?" Almost as soon as the question left her lips, Nana realized who Kaeda was. "She didn't mean Lucy's Kaeda, did she?"

Mayu wiped her tear-stained eyes with her pajama sleeve and nodded. "Yeah, she did. Before I came to bed, I was out on the east terrace when Lucy showed up. She was having as much trouble sleeping as I was. We began to talk and she switched personalities when I told her she was like an older, wiser sister to me. It was Kaeda. At first, I didn't know until she made it plain who she was. She told me to keep doing what I've been doing and that you're to be my personal protector because the Collective said so. It seems the dream we just had kind of verified what Kaeda said. I was going to tell you about it when I came to bed but you were asleep."

Nana stared at Mayu, astounded. Then a warm smile came across her lips. "I still don't understand, but something deep down inside me says you're right. I'm your guardian and I'm glad that I am. I just hope I don't have to hurt anyone doing it."

"So do I," Mayu agreed. "I just hope it doesn't come to that. I don't want to see any more of this craziness."

"I hear you," Nana chimed. "Do you think we should tell someone about this?"

A troubled sigh escaped Mayu's lips, betraying her worry. "I don't think we have a choice. Kaeda has not spoken to anyone other than Kohta before now."

"Who should we tell?"

"I don't know," Mayu admitted. "But my gut is saying Akira. He'll know what to do."

"Let's hope he gets back quick," Nana declared. "Something very bad is coming…I can feel it. I would feel a whole lot safer if he were around."

"So would I," Mayu muttered. "But until then, we must stick together. Only together will we be able to get through this. This family is all I have now and I'm not going to let it slip through my fingers, no matter what."

Nana moved beside Mayu and fell on her neck with a hug. "Thank you for believing in me and accepting me as I am," Nana cried.

Mayu returned the embrace. "You're welcome. Like I told Lucy, you're not just my friend, but my sister and family. I love you and would never betray you. I'd soon kill myself before doing that. We will get through this together."

"I love you too." With that, Nana returned to her bed and laid down, facing Mayu as she laid down. Broad smiles decorated their faces as they drifted off to sleep…confident in their love and friendship for each other.

Unknown to them, Sixty-six also sensed the Collective's warning to Mayu and Nana. His rage grew, becoming focused on Mayu because the Collective itself had chosen to contact a human closely associated with Lucy that wasn't Kohta. It tormented him because he couldn't understand why the Collective had done that. The longer he thought about it, the more incensed he became. Humans and diclonius cannot co-exist. If the Collective has resorted to making contact with pure humans, then that portion of the Collective must be purged. The Collective must never have contact with humans…ever. "Bandoh!" Sixty-six bellowed.

Bandoh entered Director Kakuzawa's office where Sixty-six had set up his headquarters. "Yea boss, what is it?" he asked.

"I got a job for you," Sixty-six hissed.

Bandoh's cyborg face twisted into an evil smile. "What kind of job?"

"A bloody one…I want you to find Lucy's family and kill them all. Can you handle it?"

"Absolutely," Bandoh crowed. "Any ideas on where they are?"

"To the south in Aso. I want you to find them and rip them apart, especially the one they call Mayu," Sixty-six ordered.

Bandoh hesitated, remembering Mayu as both a friend and an enemy in their last encounter. A puzzled look came over him. "Why do you want her dead? She's just a helpless little girl…not that doing her would be a problem."

Sixty-six's face darkened. "Don't ask why. She's a threat to everything. Just kill her and bring me her head. If you presume to ask me why I want something done again, it will be the last thing you ever ask. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yea, boss," Bandoh growled. "Transparently…now if you will excuse me, I have some traitors to exterminate." With that, Bandoh left the office, heading toward the boats.

Once Bandoh was gone, Sixty-six stared out the window towards Kamakura. "Seems I have a bad dog I need to put down. He may do what I say, but he will eventually turn on me. Better to deal with him now."

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Once again, college is sopping up a lot of my time, not leaving much time to write. But here's the next chapter. Mayu finally meets Kaeda and finds out she's not so helpless and that Nana's her bodyguard. However, being contacted by the Collective has put Mayu in grave peril. Sixty-six has ordered her killed and sent Bandoh to do it. Will Bandoh follow his orders or is there something still human left in him that will resist Sixty-six's control? We shall see. I hope to get the next chapter out a little quicker. Again, sorry for the delay.

Beowulf Caverias


	19. Chapter 19 A Collective Warning

Chapter 19

A Collective Warning

Kohta moaned while rolling on his side, kicking the blankets off the bed. His eyelids fluttered before opening. The room remained blurry...his eyes refusing to focus. All he could tell was that it was light outside, maybe mid-morning. He rubbed his eyes with his hand, trying to get them to focus. Within moments, he felt a burning thirst and a piercing hunger. His belly rumbled loudly. Despite his blurred vision, he could see he was alone. Slowly and with some difficulty, he pushed up into a sitting position with his legs hanging off the bed. A groan escaped his lips. As he felt his heart thumping noticeably in his chest, the blurred vision lessened. "Uhh…is anyone here?" he called out.

After a couple of moments, the door slid open and a figure entered, rushing to Kohta's side. "Who's there?" he asked, seeing and sensing the movement.

"It's Kagami, Kohta," Kagami replied softly, settling next to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Strange…very strange," Kohta stated. "Everything's blurry and I feel kind of disconnected from reality."

Kagami gently turned his head towards her with her hand and looked into his eyes, seeing a hazy film on them. "That doesn't surprise me. You've been asleep since you woke Sunday insisting on seeing your cousin."

"What day is it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes again.

"It's Tuesday morning," Kagami replied. "Apparently, you wore yourself out helping Yuka break out of that coma."

Kohta blinked and his vision suddenly cleared. He immediately noticed Kagami was wearing a plain grey kimono with a cloth belt. Her face demonstrated a mix of worry and relief. Surprised by her statement, he asked, "How did you know about that?"

Kagami smiled, patting him on the knee. "I'm very telepathic, Kohta…probably the most telepathic person in Kyushu. I sensed it when it happened. I can see how devoted you are to your cousin. But I was only able to sense it at a surface level. Something very powerful blocked me from seeing everything you did. Yet whatever it was helped you to bring her out of the coma. You have access to a power that should not be underestimated."

Thirst suddenly pushed past his curiosity and Kohta asked, "Can I have some water? I'm so thirsty I could drink an ocean."

"Of course," Kagami replied. "I'll bring some at once. I'll also get some food. You haven't eaten anything in almost a week."

"Yeah…that sounds good," he agreed, his stomach rumbling loudly again.

"I'll be right back," Kagami said, leaving the room.

Kohta watched her go, a weak smile on his lips. _She's really nice. Strangely, I find myself at ease around her even though I don't know anything about her._ A sigh escaped his lips as he looked around, feeling his strength rising much quicker than he anticipated. He opened his pajama shirt and gasped, seeing a large scar where the tree limb had impaled him in the van at Byodoin. He felt it, making sure he wasn't hallucinating. It was solid and completely healed from the inside out. "My god…what's happening to me? How did that heal so quickly? I know that tree limb went all the way through. It's unbelievable."

"You can say that again," Duncan announced from the open doorway, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. "It's good to see you awake, Kohta. Lucy will be very pleased. May I come in?"

Kohta waved the diclonius man in while closing up his shirt. Seeing the confusion in Kohta's face, Duncan added, "Don't worry about the wound healing so fast. It's a beneficial side effect of your receiving Lucy's blood…that and the repeated treatments by Master Akira. We diclonius have stronger and quicker healing capabilities than humans do. It's just one of the perks of being a diclonius. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Kohta looked him in the eye, finding he could sense Duncan's intentions. Then he suddenly sensed something amiss with Nana and Mayu…something both of them believed to be profoundly important, but he couldn't figure out what it was or why. "Do you know where Nana and Mayu are?"

"They're in the garden," Duncan reported. "They wanted to help with it the moment they saw it."

Kohta smiled, nodding. "What about Lucy...where is she?"

"Lucy's on the east terrace under the cherry tree. She's been going there ever since she was well enough to walk around. But she's spent most of that time watching over you. She's obviously worried but won't let anyone in to help her."

"That's Lucy all right," Kohta stated. "Could you bring Lucy, Mayu, and Nana here for me? Something's going on and I need to find out what."

"Sure, Kohta…no problem," Duncan chimed, patting Kohta on the shoulder. "I'll go get 'em. I'm sure they'll be delighted to see that you're up and much stronger now." Kohta's mouth fell open in surprise as Duncan grinned, adding, "I'm sure you're gonna have of all kinds of surprises for us in store for us. I'm glad you're on our side." With that, Duncan left to get Lucy, Nana, and Mayu.

Kohta stared, so flabbergasted at the comment that he temporarily forgot about his thirst and hunger. A deep chill raced down his spine as he realized his world would never be the same. The chirping of birds echoed from outside his broad window, prompting him to try his vectors again. He concentrated, painlessly releasing one vector. Looking toward the blinds, he visualized opening the blinds with his physical hands. The vector responded flawlessly to his will, gently pushing the blinds aside, letting in the bright sunlight of the late morning. The flood of brilliant light startled him and his vector evaporated from the shock. He shielded his eyes with his hand until they adjusted. The mountains of Aso loomed outside the window, providing a serene scene. Gazing out the window, he became lost in the splendor of the mountains. A smile crossed his lips as he felt peace creep throughout his soul. His strength grew as the tranquility outside the window called to him, causing him to rise slowly from the bed. Once sure that his legs wouldn't fail him, he staggered to the window and leaned on the sill. A smile crossed his lips. "I can walk," he muttered, looking back at the bed. "After everything that's happened, I can still walk; Amazing."

He breathed deeply of the fresh mountain air scented with firs and flowers, which invigorated him. His peace grew with his strength and confidence that he was finally over the hump in his convalescence. As he looked out the window at the small yard surrounded by a forest of old firs and oaks, he saw a diclonius girl step out of the underbrush at the edge of the yard twenty meters away. Her long pink hair draped about her face, partially concealing her features as she stared at him. Kohta's peace abruptly fled as he saw the same distant, malevolent look in her eye that he'd seen in Dark Lucy's eyes. His blood turned to ice as she smiled wickedly at him. "You're mine, human," the girl hissed.

Kohta backed away from the window, his vectors instinctively emerging in a defensive formation as the girl rushed him. He froze when he saw the ghostly arms of her vectors come at him. Before he could blink, two more powerful, alien presences invaded his mind as two vectors emerged from the forest behind the girl. One punched her pineal gland from the rear while the other snared her. The girl's vectors evaporated while she floated four feet in the air. "What the hell is going on here?" he cried. The girl cursed, raging against the invisible power that subdued her. Her eyes suddenly rolled back in her head and she slumped, ceasing her struggle.

A male voice called from the yard, "Are you all right in there?" Kohta blinked, rubbing his eyes in disbelief when a pair of diclonii suddenly materialized around the girl: a man and a woman in khakis with the man having snared the attacking girl with his vectors.

"Sir…are you okay?" the woman asked in concern.

Kohta edged closer to the window. "Uhh…yeah," Kohta replied. "But who are you? You didn't kill her, did you?" A violent chill raced down his spine as he noted the Asian look of the pair. Their faces featured prominent scars. The man sported a large scar that slashed across his face from above his left eyebrow down across his nose to his right cheek while the woman bore two vertical marks...one over each eye that made it look like someone had mauled her. Kohta couldn't tell whether the marks on the woman were scars or tattoos.

A look of curiosity filled their faces as the pair examined Kohta. After a few tense moments, the man spoke in a smooth, gentle tone. "No, son...I just knocked her out. She was too dangerous to be left conscious." The man lowered the girl to the ground while the woman took some plastic handcuffs out of her pocket, securing the girl as she lay unconscious. Kohta watched with great unease as the pair turned and looked at him. They bowed formally and the man said, "Don't be afraid. We're not going to hurt you. We've come a long way to see the Queen and her consort. I'm just glad we came along in time to prevent this deranged diclonius girl from killing you."

"Me too," Kohta agreed, his vectors still floating around him in a defensive posture.

"He's an interesting choice, Tao," the diclonius woman commented in a melodious tone that helped to quell Kohta's fear. "He's obviously a human, but somehow he has vectors. I can see them hovering around him, ready to strike. This is indeed an enigma…a human with vectors. How can this be?"

"The Queen has something to do with this, Li Mei," Tao declared. "This boy has power he's totally unaware of. I don't know if you realize it, but he sensed our approach when we were concealing our presences. It takes great power to see through our cloaks. What is your name, son?"

"Kohta," Kohta replied slowly, still fighting the fear that was making him sweat. Before he could speak again, the door flew open and Lucy appeared, her maroon eyes burning with a controlled rage. In the blink of an eye, she jumped in front of Kohta, shielding him. "Lucy!" Kohta cried in relief, pulling his vectors in. Two seconds later, Nana, Mayu, Kagami, and Myra flooded into the room while Duncan, Cai, Rachel, and Kaya surrounded the intruders from the outside.

"What the hell happened here?" Duncan cursed, seeing the unconscious diclonius girl handcuffed on the grass.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU AND HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET IN HERE?" Lucy demanded, her face twisted by her anger.

Tao and Li Mei raised their hands in a surrender gesture. "Don't kill us, my Queen. We surrender," Tao pleaded. "We're here to help."

"Wait Lucy," Kohta pleaded. "These two came to my rescue when that girl attacked me. I have no idea who she is or where she came from."

"You should keep her sedated," Tao suggested as Duncan and Cai examined the unconscious girl. "The Fury has taken her."

"Not likely," Lucy hissed. "If you were here to help, then why didn't you just come in the front door?"

"Yeah!" Nana blurted out as she and Mayu bracketed Kohta. "Sneaking in is not the way to make friends!"

"Because we caught this diclonius stalking Kohta," Li Mei answered. "He was her target."

"How did you know?" Kohta asked.

"We sensed her and her intentions as we approached the compound, so we moved to intercept her. If we hadn't acted, she may have succeeded and killed him," Tao explained.

"Yeah, right!" Lucy scoffed. "For all we know, you three may have been in on this from the beginning."

"But my Queen…" Tao protested.

"That's enough," Kagami ordered with authority, eying Tao and Li Mei closely. She gently touched Lucy on the shoulder. "Calm down, Lucy. Things are not always as they appear. We'll get to the bottom of this." Lucy's anger faded to a low simmer with Kagami's touch and soft words. Leaning on the windowsill, Kagami motioned for Tao and Li Mei to approach the window, asking, "Did my father call you and tell you to come here?"

"Yes and no," Tao answered.

"What do you mean, 'yes and no'," Lucy barked. "It's either or. You can't have it both ways."

"Allow me to explain," Tao insisted. "We came here because you called us, my Queen. The Collective informed us that if we found Akira, we'd find you. It was right. We're here to help stem the tide of annihilation set in motion by the Fury. Yoshitora must be stopped or we're all dead."

"Give me your hands," Kagami demanded. The pair offered their hands to Kagami. When she grabbed them, she sensed their intentions and the truth of their statements. A sigh escaped her lips, followed by a smile as she let them go. "It's okay, Lucy...everyone. Tao and Li Mei are allies from Tibet." Her eyes narrowed as she added, "But you failed to tell us that my father had already given you instruction on how to get here two days ago on his way to Tsukumi."

"How can we be sure?" Lucy demanded.

"You can check them out the way you checked me out," Myra suggested.

Tao leaned on the windowsill, looking Lucy directly in the eye. "The human is right, my Queen. Probe both of us; we won't resist."

"I intend to!" Lucy hissed, sending out two vectors to test Tao and Li Mei's declarations. The pair remained motionless, staring at Lucy as her vectors penetrated their brains, scanning their memories and intentions. A gasp escaped Lucy's lips as she withdrew her vectors. "You're royals…the King and Queen of the Highlands of Tibet and China." The room became deathly quiet.

"Yes, Lucy," Tao stated. "Li Mei and I are royals who heard your call. We braved the hordes of hateful humans and the diclonius fury to find you. In fact, we've incapacitated ten fury-infested diclonii since we landed in Japan…six of them within thirty kilometers of this location. I hate to say this, but this location is no longer secure. We are not the only royals in the country and all of them know where you are, my Queen."

Kagami's face fell. "I thought as much. You didn't happen to encounter an American queen on your way here?"

"No," Li Mei answered. "But I have sensed her. She's trying to link up with your father and the Queen. However, I'm having trouble sensing her now. The Fury has created a fog of confusion here in Japan that is extremely difficult to penetrate."

"We know," Kagami said. "Things have deteriorated tremendously in the last few days. Apparently, Yoshitora has exercised his control over the Fury and called out all the diclonius in Japan to come to him and to find us."

"Miss Kagami, what should we do about this girl?" Duncan asked. "Even in her unconscious state, I can sense her fury. It's overpowering."

"Take her to the safe room and sedate her," Kagami ordered. "If she wakes from the sedative, she will not be able to escape the room."

"Yes ma'am," Duncan replied. "Cai, Rachel, Kaya, help me take her." With that, they removed the unconscious girl from the yard.

"What do you think, Lucy?" Kagami asked. "Are you satisfied they are not enemies?"

Lucy sighed, relaxing a bit. "Yeah…I think so. But we should watch them closely. We know little about them. They have that same ability to hide things that both Akira and Jin have. They could be hiding their intentions, only letting us see what they want us to see."

"You have a point," Kagami agreed. Just then, a noise came from the doorway, drawing everyone's attention. Jin stood there with a concerned look.

"What's going on here?" he asked, slowly limping toward the group with a cane.

A smile crept across Tao's face while Li Mei gasped. "Are my eyes deceiving me or has the mighty Jin Ryu Osabi come into our presence?" Tao chimed.

Jin walked slowly up, focusing on Tao and Li Mei. He stared for a moment, and then a wide grin crossed his lips. "Tao, Li Mei…you're certainly a long way from home. What brings you to my master's sanctuary?"

Tao gestured to Kohta and Lucy. "Why the Queen and her consort, of course. We heard her call and came as soon as we could. Fortunately, we arrived just in time to prevent a fury-deranged diclonius girl from killing Kohta."

"Wait a minute," Lucy intruded. "You know these two?"

"Why yes, Lucy," Jin declared. "I met them fifteen years ago in the Tibetan highlands while gathering intelligence on the indigenous diclonius population. They managed to create something that everyone said was impossible…a community where diclonius and humanity lived together in harmony."

Everyone stared at Jin. "You're kidding!" Lucy balked. "There is no such place."

"On the contrary, my Queen," Tao returned softly. "It does exist. Li Mei and I are elders in the village along side of some very wise human men and women. Due to the secluded nature of our village and to the fact that it has a strange dampening effect on the Fury, much like this place does, diclonius and humans live together in harmony for the greater good. It can be done. We did it. In fact, we routinely search out other diclonius, just as Akira does, bring them to our remote sanctuary to show them how to live in peace with not just the humans, but with themselves. I would love to show it to you. It's as beautiful a place as this is."

Kagami smiled warmly. "I believe you. How about you, Kohta? I can sense you have a blossoming telepathic power comparable to my own. What do you think?"

A strange sensation swept over Kohta, creating a puzzled look as his blood began to stir. "I…don't…know. Something is happening…something big, something evil." His voice sounded distant. His legs briefly gave way, prompting Lucy to catch him.

"What's wrong, Kohta?" she asked with great concern as he hung limply in her arms, his eyes dazed. Her voiced echoed distantly in his ears.

Kohta suddenly found himself floating up, seeing Lucy holding his limp body. Confusion compounded as he passed through the solid ceiling at high speed. In a blink, he floated a kilometer over Akira's sanctuary, seeing the entire island of Kyushu. A voice whispered in his ear, "You and your friends are no longer safe. See the peril that looms all around you." Kohta's eyes widened as he saw an army of diclonii slowly advancing on Akira's Sanctuary from all directions at a distance of seven kilometers and closing. "You, Lucy, and your friends must escape now to Tsukumi before it's too late," the voice whispered. "Find the Chimera and escape the island." To the southwest, a blinding flash emanated from Nagasaki, followed by a roar and a mushroom cloud. The shockwave hit Kohta and everything went dark in a suffocating sulfurous stench. Kohta suddenly gasped, coming out of the vision coughing uncontrollably, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Kohta…What happened? Kohta!" Lucy pleaded, holding him as everyone gathered around.

Slowly, the coughing subsided and Kohta wheezed, "Take me to the bed. I need to sit down." Lucy and Mayu helped him to the bed, sitting him down gently. Lucy sat on one side, steadying him, while Mayu on the other. Jin, Kagami, Myra, and Nana moved around in front of him. Kagami motioned for Tao and Li Mei to come in and they climbed through the window. Everyone remained quiet as Lucy held onto Kohta.

"Kohta…what happened?" she asked.

In a strained voice, he said, "Tao and Li Mei are right. We are in deep trouble again. I don't know how it happened, but somehow I floated out of myself into the sky and saw an army of diclonius converging on this position. There was also this voice that said we have to go now to Tsukumi and find the Chimera…whatever that is. The voice said it was our only means of escape from the island. Then there was a flash and a mushroom cloud in the direction of Nagasaki, followed by darkness and a suffocating sulfurous stench. Can someone please tell me what just happened?"

Lucy stared at him, astounded, as did Mayu, Myra, and Nana. Jin, Kagami, Tao, and Li Mei looked at each other grimly. "Please…someone help me understand this shit!" Kohta begged. "I need help!"

Jin looked at Kohta, kneeling in front of him and touching him on the knee. Lucy watched him closely. "Tell me, Kohta. Did the voice sound like Izanami?" Jin asked.

Kohta's eyes grew wide as he suddenly recognized the voice in the vision. "Yes…it was. I'm sure of it."

"Well, my King," Tao declared. "It looks like you just had a warning from the Collective. Izanami has given us this timely warning to prevent our Queen from falling prey to an attack. We should take this very seriously."

Before anyone else could speak, Shen rushed in. "Kagami…we have a major problem," he announced. He then noticed Tao and Li Mei, adding, "Tao…Li Mei, it's good to see you again. Sorry we couldn't do this under better circumstances."

"It's quite all right," Li Mei replied.

"We know about the problem," Kagami said. "We are being surrounded, aren't we, Shen?"

Shen's mouth dropped open. "How did you know?"

"Kohta just saw it in some sort of a vision," Nana blurted out.

"But it's worse than that," Shen declared. "Our early warning grid has detected approximately ninety diclonius ranging from level five up. Six royals are leading them. And if that isn't bad enough, Nagasaki just went up in smoke. The rampaging diclonius down there encountered the Self-Defense forces, which just used tactical nukes on them. It's all over the news. Half of the city is gone and the entire countryside is in chaos."

"This is bad," Kagami muttered. "Is there any word from my father?"

"Yes," Shen answered. "We just received word over the secure channel. Akira wants us to move immediately. He's aware of the impending attack on this facility and ordered us to come to Tsukumi where there is a sub waiting. I think he called it the Chimera."

The entire room became dead silent, everyone staring at Kohta. Myra was the first to find her tongue. "Well, I'd say that's a startling confirmation of what Kohta just told us. So what's our next move?"

"Prep the RV's, Shen," Kagami ordered.

"What about the choppers?" Shen queried.

"With nuclear blasts going off, the choppers aren't safe," Kagami reminded him. "If we're caught in the air when another one of those nukes goes off, the EMP will take us down. Besides, due to the chaos, the military is libel to shoot down any unidentified aircraft. Our best option is to take the armored RV's with plenty of ammunition."

"Yes ma'am," Shen replied.

"We'll put a royal in each RV to provide cloaking cover, if you don't mind," Kagami stated, looking at Tao and Li Mei.

"Of course we don't mind, do we honey?" Tao chimed.

"I'd have insisted on it if you hadn't already suggested it," Li Mei added.

"Very well…let's get to work," Kagami ordered. "Shen...sound the alarm and get the preparation done. I want everyone ready to move in one hour."

"Yes ma'am," Shen barked.

"Why don't you take Tao and Li Mei with you to help," Kagami suggested.

Shen waved to the royals, saying, "Follow me."

Tao and Li Mei bowed to Kohta and Lucy, who nodded to them. They then followed Shen out of the room.

"I'll help too," Myra declared, chasing after Shen.

"Mayu, Nana…could you go get Kohta something to eat and drink?" Kagami asked. "It's sitting on the kitchen table where I left it when I sensed the first attack. Kohta is very thirsty and hungry." Kohta nodded with a weak smile.

"We're on it," Mayu and Nana chimed in unison, racing to the kitchen.

"Jin," Kagami said, "Are you strong enough to cloak one of the RV's?"

Jin smiled and winked. "I think I'm strong enough to do that for a little while."

"Good," Kagami replied with a relieved sigh. "Why don't you go and help with the preps for the RV's." Jin flashed a salute and walked out slowly, still showing signs of his still healing wounds. "I'm going to prep Yuka and Aiko for the trip. They're doing well but are still weak from their wounds. If you will excuse me, I have some work to do."

Kohta reached out and grabbed Kagami by the wrist, briefly restraining her. He looked into her eyes, extreme gratitude evident on his face. "Thank you, Kagami. Someday, I hope to be able to repay your kindness."

Kagami smiled sweetly. "No payment is necessary. Just seeing you alive and growing stronger by the day is all the reward I need. That goes for you too, Lucy. You should really bond with him and let him show you the true nature of humanity."

"That I will, despite the fact that world wants us dead," Lucy declared. "Nothing in heaven or hell is going to keep us from finding the peace we desire."

"I like that attitude," Kagami chimed. "Keep it and you will succeed. Now, I have work to do." She bowed and left Lucy and Kohta alone.

Kohta sighed deeply, and then licked his chapped lips. "I wish Mayu and Nana would hurry with that water. I'm really thirsty."

Lucy smiled, combing his hair with her fingers, brushing it out of his eyes. "They'll be along." She reached down and grabbed Kohta's hand, interlocking her fingers with his. Her countenance suddenly fell as she sensed the impending doom closing in around her again. "Kohta…"

"Yeah?" he answered, looking her in the eye.

"I'm really scared right now," she admitted. "To tell the truth, I can sense what you just told us about. I just didn't say anything. I'm finding that my ability to sense other diclonius is growing so fast that it's scaring me. I can sense Sixty-six at the Institute as clearly as I can see you sitting in front of me. I've never been able to do that before, not over such a long distance. I can feel his Fury and the fury of all those diclonius who want us dead with the rest of the humans. For some reason they think I've betrayed them. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Damned if I know, Lucy," Kohta muttered. "I can barely think straight as it is. I can feel your blood changing me one cell at a time and it's scaring me. I'm doing things I only could imagine in my deepest fantasies and nightmares. How can I have access to the diclonius Collective? I'm just a human who received your blood to save my life. Why has Izanami singled me out? Everything has gotten so fucked up that I don't know what to do or believe any more." He noticed shock crossing Lucy's face and added, "The only thing I know for certain is that I love you and will always love you no matter what."

"You don't blame me for this chaos?" Lucy asked softly, feeling unsure about Kohta's true feelings.

He reached out and gently placed his hand on the side of her face, turning it to him. He looked her in the eye, staring deep into her scarred soul. "I do not blame you for this. Let's place the blame where it belongs…with the imbalance within the Collective. The Fury is the root of all this trouble. But I swear to you, somehow, someway we're going to fix this. I have no idea how we're going to do this, but we will. And if we can't, I will die by your side. We'll either live together or die together. I'm not going to have it any other way. I'm going to take this power that you gave me and show the whole fuckin' world that we can live in peace."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you, Kohta. We will face our fate together. I wouldn't have it any other way." She wrapped her arms around him and he did likewise, drawing her close. Moments later, Mayu and Nana returned with the water and some crackers and cheese.

Mayu handed Kohta a glass of water. "Myra and Kagami said not to drink or eat too quickly," Mayu informed Kohta.

He smiled and sipped the water, feeling its refreshing coolness make its way down into his stomach. "Oh yea…that's good." After taking a few more sips, Kohta took a cracker, nibbling on it.

"Kohta," Mayu said.

"Yes Mayu, what is it?" Kohta asked. When Mayu hesitated, he added, "You have something important to tell us, don't you?"

Mayu nodded. "I don't know how to say this."

Lucy noticed her anxiety, as well as that of Nana, who knelt in front of Kohta holding the tray of crackers and cheese. Nana's worry was even more evident with her eyes darting around the room so she wouldn't have to look them in the eye. "Just spit it out," Lucy said coolly. "I'm sure it's nothing to it."

"You have nothing to fear by telling us," Kohta reassured Mayu.

"Well, last night I got to talk to Kaeda," Mayu whispered. She then told Kohta and Lucy what Kaeda had said, followed by the dream she and Nana had shared.

Lucy and Kohta stared at them, silenced by the news. "I knew something was up with you two. I've sensed it ever since I woke up," Kohta finally declared.

"You're not mad, are you Kohta?" Nana asked.

A smile crossed Kohta's lips. "Mad…why would I be mad to find out that you are Mayu's assigned protector, Nana? I think it's wonderful news. How about you, Lucy?"

"I don't know what to think," Lucy admitted. "Everything is so confusing right now. But part of me is happy that you've found your place. Now if I can just find mine."

"You know where you belong," Mayu stated. "…and that's right here next to Kohta and us. I'll be here right next to Kohta to help you when you need it. So will Nana, right?"

"You bet," Nana chimed as Kohta sipped on his glass of water. "We are sisters and family. I'll be here as long as I breathe. Only together can we stay a family."

A warm sensation flashed through Lucy's icy heart. Tears welled up as she finally understood that she was no longer had to face the darkness and world alone. "Thank you," she whispered. "I hope I don't betray the trust you put in me."

"You won't," Kohta said with authority. "Live or die, we do it together as a family. Of course, you know which one I'm hoping for."

"So do I," Mayu agreed. "Now let's end this madness so everyone can get along." She held her hand out. "Family forever."

"Yes…family forever!" Nana chimed, placing her hand on Mayu's hand.

"No more lies or betrayals…Family forever," Kohta declared, resting his hand on top of Nana's hand.

"No more blood…family forever," Lucy whispered, hesitantly placing her hand on Kohta's hand. "Let nothing tear us apart again."

"Amen!" Kohta, Nana, and Mayu chimed in unison.

At the same moment deep within Lucy's fractured mind, both Kaeda and Nyu beamed with delight while Dark Lucy sulked…confused and angry that she couldn't regain control of Lucy. "See…didn't I tell you he would be her salvation?" Kaeda asked, vindicated by not just the action of Kohta, but of Mayu as well. "There is no reason for us to destroy all humans. We can live with them."

"So you say," Dark Lucy countered. "But we are far from the end of this fight. We shall see who stands atop the corpses in the end. She still has to face the King and the Fury. When she is stripped of her precious family by the King and the Fury, she'll have no one to turn to except me."

"You still refuse to believe, even after everything you've witnessed," Kaeda hissed. "What does Kohta have to do to make you believe?"

Dark Lucy smiled wickedly. "Nothing…that portion of me that was transferred to him with our blood will see to it. He will fall prey to the very blood that saved his life. It's inevitable."

"You conveniently forget that a piece of me, Nyu, and Lucy were transferred in that same blood," Kaeda declared. "No matter which body we are in, we will resist your destructive nature. You also forget that the Collective has chosen him. Otherwise, he would not have had repeated contact with the Collective and Izanami."

Dark Lucy scowled, knowing Kaeda spoke the truth. "Nevertheless, we shall see where your precious human falls in this fight when the pressure is on. Things are about to become very interesting."

"I don't deny that," Kaeda stated. "Yoshitora is playing a dangerous game with the Fury. It will consume him and the entire planet if he's not careful."

"As much as I hate the human, I hope he survives long enough for us kill that son of a bitch," Dark Lucy growled. "I want to see him dead for what he did to me."

"Don't worry…Kohta is much more resilient than you think," Kaeda replied. "Humans are very unpredictable in that way. I think he may surprise you."

"He'd better or I'll kill him myself," Dark Lucy hissed. Kaeda scowled at Dark Lucy's comment, knowing she was more than capable of making good on the threat.

Sixty-six stood before the large window in Kakuzawa's office, staring toward Kamakura with a sober look. His mouth tightened to a thin line as he sensed Lucy at a distance. The doors clanged, drawing his attention from the window. Susan entered with a bow. "What is it?" Sixty-six hissed.

"The Self-defense forces just nuked Nagasaki to destroy our brothers and sisters there," she muttered, hate dripping from her lips. "But, according to the surveillance equipment we have access to here, there are three groups of royals with approximately thirty minions each moving in on a location at Aso."

A wicked smile crossed Sixty-six's lips. "Excellent…my plan is working perfectly."

"How so?" Susan asked.

Sixty-six's eyes narrowed, making her uncomfortable. "Don't presume on me, Susan. You're not here to ask why…just to do as I say."

"I'm sorry," Susan apologized. "It won't happen again."

Sixty-six walked over to her, staring her in the eye. "See that it doesn't. Now go and let me know when the first of our brothers and sisters reach the island."

"Yes sir," she replied, fleeing the room.

His lips curled into a cruel sneer. "If you only knew what I had in store for you. But this is interesting. Not only are the humans resorting to their nukes, as I predicted they would, but a large number of the diclonius I called, including three royal pairs, are heading toward Aso. That can mean only one thing…Lucy is there. Let's see if I can make this work to my advantage." He relaxed himself completely, closing his eyes. Drawing on all the power he could muster, he called out through time and space to the diclonius approaching Aso. "My brothers and sisters who are advancing on Aso, hear my call and obey. Find Lucy and her family…capture them and bring them to me alive. Kill everyone else. Leave no witnesses. Hear my order and obey. This is the will of the Collective…bring Lucy and her companions to me alive so that I may execute justice on their treason to our species."

Sixty-six's words and thoughts instantaneously fell into the minds of the ninety-six diclonii advancing on Aso. The three royal pairs paused for a moment before moving on with more haste. Dimitri and Tanya looked at each other for a moment as they looked out over the Kamakura bay from the exact spot where Kohta and Yuka discovered Lucy when she first escaped from the Institute.

"Interesting," Dimitri murmured. "This King believes that Lucy is in Aso and has ordered her to be brought here. This is a fortuitous happenstance. We don't need to go looking for Lucy. She will come to us. I say let's wait and greet her properly. What do you think?"

"Indeed," Tanya agreed. "I can sense the royals who are leading these other diclonius to Aso. They are weak and easily swayed by the King's power. They will capture them and bring them just as he orders. So we'll set out a reception for them…a lethal reception. Come, we have work to do and troops to gather."

"Yes ma'am," Dimitri replied as he looked toward the island in the bay. "Let's gather our strength and rob this King of his prize. Only you and I can be the Queen and King of the diclonius world."

Tanya smiled wickedly. "That's exactly right." With that, she kissed Dimitri fiercely before they disappeared into Kamkura.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. The pieces are moving. Akira's sanctuary is no longer a sanctuary from the madness. An army of diclonius is descending on the sanctuary with Lucy as the object of their madness. However, the Collective continues to hone Kohta's emerging skills, sending a dire warning that is confirmed from two separate sources. Will Kohta and his family escape to Tsukumi before the army arrives or will they be captured or killed? Will Tao and Li Mei show their loyalty or will Lucy's instinct about them being enemies be proved true. We shall see. As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	20. Chapter 20 Sneak Attack!

14

Chapter 20

Sneak Attack!

A blood-splattered Suko gazed numbly at the carnage around her, seeing gory body parts and pools of blood strewn everywhere. Not one of the thirty diclonius attackers remained intact. Their bodies were torn to pieces and scattered across the small park where they'd set in ambush. Half a head lay on the ground in front of her, its single eye staring at her. Nearby lay a third of a torso with its internal organs hanging out. Severed legs, hands, feet, arms lay scattered as if some explosion had ripped the bodies apart. Tears dripped off her chin as she knelt, feeling she'd been caught in a battle between the gods. A blood-soaked Sen knelt next to her, her right arm around Suko in a protective manner while her left arm hung limply at her side…mangled in the battle, blood dripping from her fingers. Guildo squatted down in front of her, blood dripping from numerous wounds he received in the attack. "Are you all right, Miss Arakawa?" he asked, very concerned about her present state. "Are you injured?"

Being in a state of shock, Suko couldn't reply, so Sen answered for her. "She doesn't appear to be injured," Sen reported, her head swimming from the loss of blood. "But she's obviously in shock from the battle. What happened, Captain? They had us dead to rights and then they suddenly exploded."

"I'm not sure, Sen," Guildo stated. "But this isn't over. I'm sensing a supremely powerful presence closing in on us. I think this presence is the reason we survived."

"You are correct, Captain Guildo of the ARGUS flagship, Kraken," an elderly voice echoed over the battlefield. Guildo and Sen suddenly bristled, going into a defensive posture with Suko at the center of their defensive circle, vectors ready to dispatch anyone who approached. "There's no need for that, Captain," the voice called out. "Pull back your vectors. We mean you no harm." Moments later, Akira appeared twenty feet away with five other diclonius men. Guildo's and Sen's eyes grew wide as Akira stepped forward, introducing himself with a bow, "I am Akira Nariko. I believe you have been looking for me, Captain?"

"Master Akira!" Guildo breathed, lowering his defenses but keeping his vectors on a hair trigger.

"Did you save us?" Sen asked, humbled by Akira's very presence.

"Yes, but I had some assistance," Akira answered. Gesturing to his colleagues, he added, "These fine boys are my backup. It's a good thing we came along when we did. Those royals almost had you."

"That they did," Guildo agreed. "Thank you for the rescue. This woman has some vital information regarding the Institute that you should see."

"Is that so?" Akira asked. "Then I must see to this precious woman." He approached and knelt down in front of Suko. Seeing the numb terror on her face, he reached out and gently touched her on the hand. "It's okay, Miss Arakawa. You're safe now."

His voice soothed her shattered emotions and she broke down. Not caring who Akira was, she leaned into his embrace, bawling. "It's okay; let it out," Akira cooed. "You have endured great hardship and pain because of some very unscrupulous people. They will never hurt you again. You have my word on it."

When she calmed down, she asked, "But are we truly safe? Sixty-six thinks I betrayed him. I know it. And after what the Director did to me, how can I believe anything anymore?"

"I'm well aware of what the Director did to you, Miss Arakawa," Akira declared. "I'm also aware of Yoshitora's control over the Fury. He's playing a very dangerous game. You have every right to be cautious. This sneak attack on you is a result of the spreading Fury. But you survived. It shows that you are a survivor. Now what do you have for me?"

After composing herself, Suko pulled out the computer disk, saying, "On this disk is information on Kakuzawa's darkest project…the one he calls Lazarus. The project is how he used diclonius material to raise the dead and become a full-blood diclonius. I'm sure he's dead now. Sixty-six was going to make sure of that. When I found out what he was doing, he tried to make me a guinea pig in his project. Thank God I had some unknown friends who rescued me from his clutches."

Akira's face turned grim as he gently took the disk. "Raising the dead with diclonius material…I knew he was up to no good. I'll take a look at this as soon as we return to your ship, Captain."

"Well, it isn't my ship," Guildo stated. "My ship was sunk by the Japanese Navy when ARGUS and SHIVA turned against us. If Captain Fargo hadn't been there, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"So the Chimera is Fargo's ship," Akira surmised.

"That it is," Guildo replied. "He's waiting just offshore with the cloak engaged."

"Good," Akira stated. "We should go now before any more deranged diclonius come. Let's take Miss Arakawa back to the ship. It's safer for her there."

"But what about your place?" Sen asked. "I thought you had a safe haven?"

"It's no longer safe," Akira said grimly. "It's being surrounded as I speak by a diclonius army who want to take Lucy back to Yoshitora. I sent word to Kagami for everyone to come to the Chimera."

"Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse," Sen complained.

"Oh this is just the beginning, my dear," Akira declared. "The Self-Defense forces have used nuclear weapons in Nagasaki within the last few hours to quell the diclonius rampage there. The war is on. The only chance we have to stop this is to take out Yoshitora. Lucy has to heal her fractured personality and confront him. If he remains in control of this situation for too much longer, there will be no stopping him. He has to die."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Guildo replied. "Let's go get Lucy and bring her back to the Chimera."

"I admire your determination," Akira stated. "But first, you need medical attention. Allow me." Before Guildo could blink, ten of Akira's vectors swarmed Guildo…first gently restraining him and then treating the wounds he received in the battle. Guildo felt Akira's vectors moving through his body, mending his torn flesh. He gritted his teeth with a groan as his wounds burned with the enhanced healing power of Akira's vectors. Within thirty seconds, Akira finished, releasing him. Guildo staggered as Akira said, "That should do for now. Your own healing ability should be able to do the rest."

"Thank you, Master Akira," Guildo said with a little bow. "I feel much better now."

"And what about the young lady who is Miss Arakawa's bodyguard…is she in need of a touch?" Akira asked.

"No sir," Sen replied, still holding on to Suko. "I'll be all right. They're just scratches."

"There's no need to play the brave soldier here, my dear," Akira reminded her. "If you need help, all you have to do is ask."

"I'm okay," Sen said deliberately. "Could we please get Miss Suko to safety? This place is far from safe."

"I agree," Akira stated. "We should get moving. Captain…you and Miss Osabi should return to the ship with Miss Arakawa. I'm going back to get my people. Where did you come ashore?"

"Are you familiar with Ohama on the peninsula just south of Tsukumi?" Guildo asked.

"Of course," Akira replied. "There is the most delightfully secluded beach just south of there."

"Interesting you should say that," Guildo replied.

Akira smiled. "That's where you came ashore, isn't it?"

"Yes, Master Akira," Guildo answered. "That's exactly where we came ashore. There's an outcropping of rock that conceals a tiny beach just east of the southern terminus of the main beach. That's where we hid our skiff."

"Where is the Chimera?" Akira asked.

"About three and a half miles offshore, sitting on the bottom and cloaked," Guildo reported. "When we're ready to return to the ship, I'll send a signal on this." He pulled out a communicator that had miraculously survived the battle.

"Very well," Akira stated. "You and Miss Osabi should take Miss Arakawa back to that beach and wait for my arrival. I'm going back to make sure my family gets here all right. Do not break radio silence and remain hidden until we return. We don't want to draw any attention to our escape route."

"Yes sir, Master Akira," Guildo said. "We'll be ready and waiting. What if…"

"…if something happens and I don't make it back with my family and the Queen?" Akira asked. Guildo nodded and Akira said, "If I'm not there with my people by midnight, consider us lost, return to the Chimera and leave Japanese waters forever. Take your people and get as far away from Japan as you can because this whole country will burn if we don't succeed. Do I make myself clear? This is a directive straight from Izanami in the Collective."

Guildo paled when he saw the severity in Akira's face and tone. "Things are that bad?"

"Yes," Akira declared. "This is not a request, but an order. If I don't get to the beach with at least a portion of my people and hopefully the queen, abandon Japan forever. The Fury will cause every diclonius in this country to destroy all life, including their own. This place will become nothing but a wasteland of the dead if we don't succeed."

"Is there any place we can go if this happens?" Guildo asked. "Is there any place on the planet that we can be safe from the Fury?"

Akira sighed grimly. "Not that I'm aware of. But there is a legend that speaks of the place where the diclonius species originated. Somewhere in the South Pacific is an island that is not on any charts and is unable to be detected by any technology. It's the place where the Collective originates."

Sen felt a deep chill race down her spine at his words. "How can we find a place not on any charts and unable to be seen by our technology?" she asked hesitantly. "How is this place any safer than anywhere else, especially if the Collective originates there?"

"Good question, Miss Osabi?" Akira replied. "Unfortunately, I do not have that answer. The Collective has not revealed that information to me. The one who would know that would be Lucy after she has healed her fractured psyche and accepted her position as the true Queen of the Diclonius world."

"Master Akira," one of his diclonius team whispered to him. "We should get moving. The Collective is fluctuating wildly again."

"That it is, David," Akira agreed. "Captain, we can continue this discussion later. We must move now. I sense my daughter and her friends are in peril. I must go to help. I'm going to leave David and Jubei with you just in case." Addressing David and Jubei, he added, "Go with Captain Guildo and do as he and Miss Osabi say. They are in command. Protect Miss Arakawa and each other until I return with the Queen. Guard yourselves against the Fury. The situation is spiraling out of control and the Fury is starting to affect even the humans, so stay focused."

"Yes sir," David and Jubei replied in unison.

Speaking to Guildo, he said, "Remember my words…midnight is the cutoff. If we don't reach you by midnight, we're dead and your only option is flight."

The words grieved Guildo, yet he answered, "Yes sir." Grasping Akira's hand and shaking it firmly, he added, "It's been an honor to finally meet you, Master Akira. I pray the gods that you're successful."

Akira smiled. "So do I. But don't worry. I'm confident we'll make it in time. Come on boys, let's get our family back here in one piece." With that, Akira and remaining three of his diclonius team spun their vectors, vanishing from sight.

"I hope he makes it back," Suko murmured.

"So do I," Guildo agreed. "Well, I guess we return to the beach like he ordered." Turning to David and Jubei, he asked, "I have but one question for you…where do your loyalties lie?"

David let out a troubled sigh. "My loyalties are to our Queen, Lucy, to Akira, and to you and your friends here. We're here to help secure their safety and hopefully help Lucy stop this madness from getting any worse."

"And you?" Guildo asked Jubei.

"Just like David said," Jubei answered. "We're with the Queen and you. I'd just soon live in peace with the humans and possibly help them rather than exterminate them. It's just not right to exterminate our human brothers and sisters."

Guildo sighed deeply, relieved by their answers. "Very good answers, both of you. My name is Guildo Jensu and this is Sen Osabi and Suko Arakawa. Come, let's get back to the beach." With that, Guildo led them out of the bloody battlefield as sirens started echoing in the distance.

Meanwhile on board the Chimera, Fargo watched the display in his ready room with increasing concern. The first mate, Chris, the satellite officer Ron, security chief Phillip Zubiar, intelligence chief Elle Eldritch, Dr. Ravenclaw, Kraken first mate Jericho, and Miss Karosuma watched along with Fargo as the radio signatures of Guildo's team went out one at a time while a horde of thirty hostile diclonii signatures swarmed them. Suddenly, every hostile signature disappeared, leaving only Guildo, Sen, and Suko's signatures along with six other signatures that didn't appear hostile. One particular signature proved to be the strongest signature Fargo had yet encountered. They stared at the screen in disbelief as the remaining signatures split up, five heading back to the beach and four heading toward Aso. Karosuma found her tongue first.

"What just happened?" she asked. "Is the Captain all right?"

Fargo sighed with a nod. "It appears so," he answered. "Three of the signatures heading back to the beach are Captain Guildo, Miss Osabi, and Miss Arakawa. The other two I don't know who they are but they don't appear to be hostile like the others."

"Any idea who's the power broker that saved them?" Phillip asked.

"I'm not sure," Fargo answered. "But he or she has the most powerful signature we've yet picked up. The very fact that this person didn't destroy Guildo's team indicates they may be an ally. Do you have any thoughts on this, Elle?"

"Only one name comes to my mind when you speak of diclonius power of the magnitude we just saw," Elle declared. "…Akira Nariko. From the intelligence we have on him, he's a diclonius of the first magnitude with power comparable to Sixty-six. If I were a gambling woman, I'd say Vegas odds on that signature being Akira's. The fact that the signature is moving back toward Aso at a good clip buttresses this supposition."

"Isn't Akira the diclonius we've been looking for?" Jericho asked.

"It is," Fargo stated. "But we must first be sure it is Akira. Until the Captain calls for a pickup, we're just speculating on who this mystery diclonius is."

"What does your gut say, Captain?" Ravenclaw asked.

A wry smile crossed Fargo's lips. "My gut, Doctor, says the good Captain was successful. But we must proceed with caution. The Fury has notched up to a level I've never seen before. It could be affecting him or us. Our best option is to wait for the Captain's call."

"Captain," Ron blurted out as he closely monitored his personal screen. "There has been a shift in the paths of a sizeable number of diclonius we're tracking. They're no longer heading toward Kamakura."

Fargo cringed. "Please don't tell me they're heading this way?"

"I'm afraid so, Captain," Ron declared. "And not only are they moving in this direction, they're killing everything in their path…human and diclonius alike. It's like they're racing to capture the ultimate prize."

"That's because they are," Fargo stated. "What greater prize could be had than destroying the Queen and taking her place? This situation is deteriorating faster than I anticipated."

"What're we going to do, Captain?" Phillip asked. "We just can't leave Captain Guildo and his friends exposed like that."

Fargo squirmed in his seat, face downcast and somber. "Unfortunately, that is exactly what we have to do. We cannot jeopardize our position by sending reinforcements until we hear word from Captain Guildo."

"But Captain!" Chris protested. "They're our comrades. We must do something to assist the Queen!"

"And we will by remaining hidden until the very last possible moment," Fargo announced. "Do not forget that ARGUS, SHIVA, and the Japanese Navy are still on the hunt for us. To move now before everything is ready would be folly. We must have faith in our friends. They knew the risks of going ashore and knew what to do in case the worst should happen. We shall monitor the situation closely and move only when the time is right. We will snatch the Queen and her family out from under the noses of all those who wish to kill them. We will not fail. We must not fail. Those are my orders. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," Chris answered, humbled by Fargo's cold logic and faith in their friends.

"Captain," Ron spoke up again. "I have detected new movement from the Self-Defense forces."

"What're they doing now?" Fargo asked bluntly.

"They've set up perimeters around the major cities," Ron reported not looking up from his screen. "The largest perimeter encompasses Tokyo all the way down past Yokohama and Kamakura."

"Let me see it," Fargo ordered. Moments later, the main screen viewed by Fargo flashed, showing a satellite view of the greater Tokyo metropolis. Smoke poured from many buildings in the city as every road and trail from the area was blocked by heavy military hardware and thousands of troops. Helicopter gunships buzzed around like angry hornets. Fargo noticed some activity on the north-western side of Tokyo. "Zoom in on the main highway from Tokyo at Niiza," Fargo ordered.

Ron tapped his keyboard and the image zoomed down to where individual people could be seen. Silence gripped the room like a vice while they watched the Self-Defense forces slaughtering normal people who were trying to escape the carnage wrought by the rampaging diclonii. Blood and limbs flew as the hail of heavy machine gun bullets from the tanks mowed through the unarmed civilians like a scythe. Karosuma's stomach lurched at the bloodshed and turned away from the screen. Jericho stared at the massacre in disbelief while Ravenclaw shut his eyes to the carnage.

Fargo watched in stony silence while the massacre continued. Suddenly, the organized slaughter of civilians took an unexpected turn. The soldiers turned abruptly turned their weapons on each other, turning the massacre into a battle amongst the Self-Defense Forces. Tanks exploded from rocket attacks from the air and fire from the ground. And if that wasn't bad enough, the panicked civilians turned on each other, killing each other with whatever they had at hand, even their teeth. The massacre became a riot of insanity…a mass of humanity tearing each other apart with the same ruthlessness the diclonius had done to them.

"What the hell?" Jericho cursed. "What's happening? Why are they killing each other? It makes no sense!"

Fargo groaned at the growing bloodstorm on the screen. "It's the Fury. I can feel it. Somehow, it has poisoned the human population. They are…" Before he could finish, a flash came from the direction of Tokyo and the screen blanked to static.

"No…they didn't!" Ravenclaw cried.

"Get the satellite back online, Ron…NOW!" Fargo barked.

"I'm trying, Captain," Ron replied. "An EMP burst blinded our satellites. I'm switching to a backup."

"Do it!" Fargo ordered. Ron worked feverishly for a few moments before the main monitor came back online. As the static lessened, an image emerged from the background.

"What is that?" Karosuma asked, voice trembling.

A few moments later, everyone knew the impossible had just occurred. The image revealed a massive mushroom cloud rising over north Tokyo with the ensuing firestorm having encompassed all but the very southernmost parts of the city. Mercifully, the high terrain between Kamakura and Tokyo shielded it from the nuclear blast. However, Kamakura burned from the rioting caused by the diclonius rampages in those areas.

"This can't be happening!" Karosuma cried. "Who in their right mind uses nukes!"

"This situation has escalated beyond the control of anyone now," Fargo said softly, tears dripping down his cheeks. "This is exactly what we feared would happen. The Fury has breached the diclonius species and is causing a wave of fear and insanity to break out amongst the human population. It will drive everyone to destroy each other. We must secure the Queen now. Only she can stop this madness. Chris, contact Captain Guildo on a secured channel informing him of the situation and then sound General Quarters. We must be ready to move. Go."

"Yes sir," Chris said, leaving the conference room. Moments later, the alarm sounded with Chris's voice echoing throughout the ship, "All hands, Battle Stations…this is not a drill! Battle Stations!"

"Is there anything we can do?" Doctor Ravenclaw asked.

"Stand ready," Fargo declared. "It won't be long now before the final confrontation occurs. We must be ready and in place to help our Queen."

"Aye, Captain," Dr. Ravenclaw replied.

Chris re-entered the room a few moments later with a somber look. "The ship and crew are ready," he reported.

"Did you get through to Captain Guildo?" Fargo queried.

"Yes sir," Chris answered. "There is a lot of interference from the nuclear blast, but we did get through. Fortunately, it allowed us to make contact without being seen. Captain Guildo was successful in his search. In fact, Akira Nariko saved him, Miss Osabi, and Miss Arakawa from the sneak attack we witnessed. Akira ordered him to return to the beach with Miss Osabi, Miss Arakawa, and two of his diclonius boys to wait while he went back to retrieve the Queen, her family, and his people. Apparently, he knew of an upcoming assault on his sanctuary and ordered them to come here. The Captain is waiting for them at the beach. He said Akira told him that if he didn't return to the beach by midnight, for everyone there to return to the ship and leave Japanese waters forever."

"That's serious," Fargo muttered. "It means he's concerned that he may not succeed. Very well, have the pickup crew on standby and wait for the Captain's signal. Fate willing, Akira will be successful in getting the Queen to us."

"Aye, Captain," Chris answered with a salute. Fargo saluted and Chris left to carry out the orders.

"Is there any hope, Captain?" Karosuma asked.

A worried smile crossed Fargo's lips. "There's always hope, Miss Karosuma, even if it is just a fool's hope." He noticed her worried look, adding, "Don't worry. A lot of times it's the fool's hope that wins out. I'm betting on it this time."

"Me too," Karosuma replied.

Sixty-six sat on the highest point of the Institute, looking toward Tokyo. The boiling mushroom cloud turned various shades of red and brown as it rose into the sky. A broad, wicked smile plastered his face as he felt the essences of hundreds of diclonius coming in his direction. "Oh it worked! The Fury spread beyond our kind to the humans! The fools became the tools of their own destruction!"

"Of course they did," the King murmured in his ear. "Nothing has been left to chance. All we needed was to create a critical mass of fear and rage amongst the human population. Once that happened, the Fury infected them and they destroyed themselves without our help."

"Who called in the nuclear strike?" Sixty-six asked.

"Does it matter?" the King mused. "Thanks to their own hateful and distrustful nature, they nuked themselves trying to eliminate us. Obviously, they have no qualms in killing their own kind. It just proves they're not worthy to inherit this planet."

"I agree," Sixty-six stated. "And the order I sent out for all diclonius to capture Lucy and bring her to me is working perfectly. Soon she will be here and watch as I kill that insect she has chosen in front of her."

"Don't get cocky, Yoshitora," the King warned. "Your job is to kill her so I can merge with her. Don't you forget it."

"But that doesn't mean I can't have some fun in the process," Sixty-six countered. "That pest made a mockery of me. I'm going to enjoy ripping him to pieces."

"We both are," the King growled.

Suddenly, the diclonius essences Sixty-six and the King sensed coming towards them suddenly changed direction, heading south…away from Kamakura. "What the hell…where are those essences going?" Sixty-six cursed. "I'm the strongest diclonius. They should be coming to me?"

"I'm not sure," the King replied, confused by this unexpected development. "Something strange is happening here. Their essences are heading toward the Queen. But I can barely sense her. Why they are going to her when you are obviously the most powerful is a mystery." Without warning, all of the essences vanished near Nara.

A growl rose from Sixty-six. "Where the hell did they go? Who's at Nara?"

"I don't know," the King answered with rising anger. "I can sense nothing at Nara or anywhere around it. It's like a black hole has opened in that area. Send scouts to Nara to find out what's going on there."

"I intend to," Sixty-six hissed. "Those diclonius essences belong to me. I want them back!" He closed his eyes and sent out a telepathic pulse to all diclonius near Nara to investigate. "Soon Lucy will be in my power and we will merge with her. Nothing will stand in our way."

"You better hope not," the King whispered. "If you fail, I will consume your essence myself and find a better vessel."

Sixty-six felt an all-too-human chill race down his spine at the threat…a threat he knew wasn't an idle one. "I will have Lucy," he muttered. "...and no one will stop me."

At Horyuji outside of Nara, the cyborg mutant Bandoh gazed upon the statues of the Shiba-Tori-Skaka triad in the main temple. All around him lay the bodies of the security personnel who had tried to stop him and a handful of poor pilgrims who had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Stupid idiots," Bandoh hissed. "I warned them." A noise drew his attention. His gaze snapped to the base of the statue, seeing a mother and small boy cowering behind the huge bronze statues. A sigh escaped his lips as he jerked his mechanical thumb harshly towards the doors. "Beat it if you want to live." When they hesitated, he growled viciously, "NOW or you'll end up like these guys!" The mother and son fled in panic past Bandoh out the door to safety. Once they were gone, he let out a deep sigh, looking at his cyborg arms.

"How do I deal with this?" he muttered. "Who's truly responsible for me becoming this monstrosity?"

His thoughts turned to Lucy and her last words to him on the beach before leaving him. "This is the last you will see of me," she said icily. With that, she walked away while he cursed her. His thoughts suddenly took a very different slant.

"Why didn't she kill me?" he mumbled. "She had me and yet, she let me go. Why would she do that after everything I did to her?" Sitting down cross-legged in front of the statue, he mused over the odd thought. "Why am I even considering this? She took my arm and eyes without thinking. I should want her head. But now I'm not sure what I want. Technically, what Kakuzawa and this Sixty-six has done to me is far worse than what Lucy ever did to me. God damn it…this is totally fucked up." His emerging diclonius power trembled suddenly, causing him to jump up. He spun around wildly, looking in all directions. "Who's there? Come on out, I can feel you."

No one appeared, yet the feeling of being surrounded by a horde of diclonius grew. His eyes blazed, turning a deep scarlet as his newly found vectors shot out, settling into a defensive position. Murmuring voices echoed in his ears. "Where the hell are you!" he roared, fear turning his blood to ice. Suddenly, a glowing ground fog three feet deep rolled in from outside the shrine. Bandoh froze, a primal fear having paralyzed him. The murmuring voices grew louder as the fog swirled around his feet. Sweat dripped down his face as he stared at the fog that seemed to congregate at his feet, growing deeper by the second. He suddenly found himself lost in that glowing fog. The world dissolved into a void, leaving dozens of ghostly diclonius figures floating around him. The specters approached within arm's length and stopped, eyeing him with curiosity. "Who are you?" Bandoh croaked, his voice barely a whisper.

"They are recently killed diclonius," a voice called out. Bandoh followed the sound to a diclonius girl who looked exactly like Lucy. His blood began burning with rage until he saw her eyes: maroon eyes that seemed to encompass the entire universe. His anger drained like a fire drowned by a deluge.

"You're not Lucy!" he declared.

"Very observant, human," the specter answered with a smile. "But you aren't exactly human either, now are you?"

"No," Bandoh hissed, his anger about his present state returning. "I didn't ask to be this."

"Of course you didn't," the specter chimed. "But this is your fate, nonetheless. The moment you agreed to hunt diclonius for Kakuzawa, your fate became intertwined with that of us. Now your own anger and rage has caused the dark forces to mold you into a weapon of untold power to be used against the whole world."

"I'm no one's puppet!" Bandoh balked.

"And that is why we are here," the specter returned. "Despite the evil done to you, you have retained your will. It is your will that has kept you from becoming the weapon they want you to be."

"What's your point?" Bandoh asked bluntly.

"The point is you are now in the same position the boy you hunt is," the specter declared. "You have become the bridge that will either bring peace to our world or destroy it."

"Stop with the fuckin' riddles!" Bandoh shouted.

"No riddles, Bandoh," the specter retorted. "You and the boy are unique with the power to determine our fates. Even now, you are considering possibilities that you've never considered before. The Queen calls to you and you're entertaining the idea of not killing her."

"Who says I don't want to kill that bitch?" he growled.

The specter walked up to Bandoh, standing nose to nose with him. "Your very soul says so," she answered coldly. "You try to play the role of a hard case, but now you're seeing the consequences of your sadistic ways. Your own evil has caused your plight. Now you face a hard decision that will determine not just your fate, but the fate of billions. Do you see the ghosts of murdered diclonius all about us?"

Bandoh nodded. "What about them? I didn't kill them or call them."

"Oh but you did," the specter countered. "Your actions led to their deaths, just as it led to your own dilemma. Had you not hunted the Queen for Kakuzawa, Yoshitora would not have been released and created this situation."

Bandoh's face flushed. "I am not responsible for them!"

"But you are," the specter insisted. "And now, because of the curse Kakuzawa has placed upon you, they are drawn to you for redemption. They want vengeance on the ones who did this to them. Your power has drawn them the same way they were drawn to Yoshitora and to Lucy. They want closure and the ability to return to the Collective."

"Just what are you saying?" Bandoh hissed. "Stop fuckin' with me and spit it out. What do you want?"

"Why did you come here?" the specter asked.

"You didn't answer the question," Bandoh growled. "What the fuck do you want with me?"

The specter stared him down, the universe in her eyes penetrating into Bandoh's very soul. With an icy tone, she whispered, "Retribution."

Bandoh froze as she caressed his cheek with her ghostly hand. A cruel sneer curled on her lips as she added, "You know what must be done. You can side with me and live or side with the Fury and perish with the rest of the world. The choice is yours, human." With that, she stepped back into the fog with the other ghosts, her final words echoing in Bandoh's ears. The world slowly materialized out of the void as the fog vanished, leaving Bandoh standing in front of the bronze statues of the Shiba-Tori-Skaka triad.

He stared at the statues for several moments, oblivious to the sound of approaching sirens. Suddenly, he snapped out of his trance with a sense of purpose he hadn't felt since his first encounter with Lucy. His lips twisted into a wicked smile as he gazed at the Triad. "It's time for some retribution and I know just who can help me." With that, he hurried out the back exit on a mission.

A/N: The war is on and spiraling out of control. Akira rescues Guildo, Sen, and Suko from a diclonius ambush only to provide a stern warning about what happens if he doesn't return to the beach by midnight. And if that isn't bad enough, Fargo and the command crews from both the Chimera and Kraken are witness to a severe turn of events where the Fury apparently infects the human population of Tokyo. It drives them to senseless acts of extreme violence against each other just before a nuclear explosion demolishes most of Tokyo. Will Akira be successful in retrieving his family along with Lucy and her family? What will become of the diminishing ranks of the diclonius underground now that the Fury is poisoning regular people? Keep reading to find out.

Beowulf Caverias


	21. Chapter 21 Road to Tsukumi

Chapter 21

Road to Tsukumi

Captain Guildo looked out over the bay from their hiding spot in the bushes just off the secluded beach where they hid their skiff. The natural cavity in the dense thicket provided a perfect refuge from prying eyes. A cool breeze stirred his hair as the rising gibbous moon reflected off the water, creating a sparkling effect. The bushes shook softly in the wind as he looked through the gap in the blind they created. Suko sat nearby with Sen, David, and Jubei tending to Sen's injuries received during the ambush. The thundering of helicopter blades began pulsing in their ears and everyone froze. Seconds later, a squadron of six gunships passed just fifty feet over their position with searchlights shining down on the beach. The searchlights moved from side to side as they moved on into the darkness to the west. A sigh escaped Guildo's lips as he looked back at his team. "That was close."

"Yeah," David agreed. "It looks like they were just patrolling."

"Most likely," Guildo said, looking at his watch, finding it broken. 'Damn…they broke my watch in the ambush. Anyone know what time it is?"

Jubei pulled out an old pocket watch and opened the cover. "It's seven-thirty, sir. We've been here since five this afternoon."

"Hmmm…that leaves only four and a half hours before midnight," Guildo mumbled. "I sure hope Master Akira gets back here all right."

"Don't worry about Master Akira," David stated. "My concern is that we may be discovered before…" He suddenly sensed the approach of a couple of diclonius. David crawled over beside Guildo, hissing, "Shit! They found us!"

Guildo sensed the approach also and frowned. He couldn't tell whether they were enemies or allies, so he decided to play it cool. "Keep down and quiet," he ordered. Jubei, guard our rear. Sen, stay close to Suko. David, you're with me. Let's just see who it is first."

He and David watched from their sanctuary for almost two minutes before four figures appeared from the tree line around the rocky outcropping on south end of their secluded beach. A young fiery-red headed diclonius man wearing dark camouflage carried an elderly Japanese man wrapped in a blanket. A pink-haired diclonius woman of moderate build wearing a black jumpsuit helped a middle-aged man across the beach, letting him lean heavily upon her. They trudged down the beach, walking in the edge of the surf to erase their tracks. "Intriguing," Guildo murmured to David. "They're trying to conceal their tracks."

"That doesn't mean they aren't a danger," David warned.

"True," Guildo replied. "But when was the last time you saw any diclonius helping a human? Besides, that one human looks familiar." He pointed to the man being helped by the diclonius woman. "I've seen him somewhere before."

The quartet stopped on the beach in front of Guildo, walking out of the waves. David tensed and Guildo placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just a moment, son…let's just watch them for a minute."

Once out beyond the waves, the red head settled to his knees and gently laid the elderly man down on the sand, sitting down next to him with a sigh. His companions did the same, making a perimeter around the elderly man. At this distance, Guildo and David could see the splints on the old man's limbs. The middle-aged man literally plopped down in the sand, out of breath. The diclonius woman settled beside him, asking, "Are you all right, Saito?"

"I will be," he panted. "Just need a minute to catch my breath, Naomi."

Naomi patted him on the shoulder. "How's the ankle?"

"Throbbing like a toothache," Saito replied. "I should've been more careful where I was stepping. Thanks for catching me back there."

Naomi smiled sweetly. "Not a problem. I just hope we can find Captain Guildo before someone finds us."

"So do I," the red head said. "The Fury has become so thick I can hardly sense anyone."

"How's the Emperor doing, Doug?" Saito asked the red head.

"He's still unconscious," Doug replied. "But he's still alive. I wonder why Master Akira told us to come here. There doesn't appear to be anyone here except us."

"I don't know," Saito murmured, holding his bad ankle. "But this is where he told us to come. He said Commander Guildo is supposed to be here waiting for him."

"So what do we do now?" Naomi asked.

"I guess we wait and pray no one sees us," Doug replied. With that, he sighed and looked at the bay, feeling very ill at ease.

A rustling in the bushes grabbed their attention. Doug and Naomi went into defensive positions, vectors out to counter any foe. Saito drew a .45 caliber automatic pistol from his coat, pointing it towards the bushes. A figure emerged from the bushes with his hands out in a peace gesture. "Who are you?" Doug demanded, immediately noticing the diclonius character of the figure and that his clothes were tattered from battle.

Seconds later, a second diclonius man came out of the bushes, calling out, "Doug…is that you?"

Doug blinked a moment, focusing on the second figure. Recognition lit his eyes and he answered, "David? What are you doing here and who's this?"

"Relax, my friend," Guildo said softly. "I'm Captain Guildo. Did I hear correctly that Master Akira sent you?"

"Yes," Doug replied. "We met him in Tsukumi and he told us to immediately come here. This whole fuckin' place has gone to shit."

Guildo chuckled. "You're telling me. Is that you, Saito Murata?"

Saito pocketed his weapon and heaved himself to his feet with Naomi's assistance, calling out, "Commander Guildo Jensu…I thought I recognized your face. I'm pleased that you received my warning in time."

A smile crossed Guildo's face. "I'm just pleased you managed to escape that insanity."

"Me too," Saito said. "Doug, Naomi…this is Captain Guildo and he is one of us."

"I figured that when I saw David with him," Doug answered, pulling his vectors back. He shook Guildo's hand, adding, "I'm glad to meet you, sir. But we have a serious injury with us and I don't think it's wise for us to be out in the open like this."

"You're so right," Guildo stated. "Please, pick your friend up and follow me. I have set up a temporary shelter in the bushes. David, please erase our prints from the beach, if you please."

"Yes sir," David replied as Doug gathered the Emperor into his arms. Guildo then led them into the bushes as David extended his vectors, sweeping the beach of their prints before disappearing into the bushes himself.

Once in Guildo's safe haven, Guildo looked over the elderly man. "Saito, who is this man?"

"Commander, this is Emperor Taro Fudo Watanabe," Saito reported. "He and I are the only survivors of the assassination attempt by the military in Tokyo a couple days ago."

"The military tried to assassinate you?" Guildo asked, puzzled by the news. "Why would they do that?"

"Because we refused to give them the authority to crack down on the general population in order to deal with the diclonius rampage," the Emperor murmured weakly, having just awakened and heard the question.

"Your majesty, please don't talk," Doug ordered. "You're too weak."

"Nonsense," the Emperor balked. "I'm strong enough to share what happened."

"What happened, your majesty?" Guildo asked.

"I became aware of factions within the government and military planning to seize control of the country," the Emperor whispered. "So I went to the meeting where Prime Minister Otomi was resisting their will to enact martial law and launch a genocide of the diclonius. I came in just as they were about to overrule Otomi and put a stop to it. I let them know of your mission to secure the Queen and let her decide our fates. They didn't like it at all when Otomi absolutely refused to hand our people over to martial law after hearing what I said. So apparently, they launched a missile attack on us right after they left to eliminate us. Saito and I were the only survivors. The Prime Minister didn't make it. According to Saito, they planned to call the missile strike a diclonius attack to turn the people against your kind. They don't know that we survived."

"Is this true?" Guildo asked Saito.

"It is," Saito replied. "If Master Akira hadn't sent Doug's team to retrieve us, we'd be dead too. Somehow he knew they were going to turn against us."

"This is not good," Sen commented.

"You're telling me," Saito stated. "Since the attack, the military has nuked seven cities, including Tokyo. Something is happening I don't understand. The people in those cities suddenly went berserk and slaughtered each other before the nukes fell. It's as if the diclonius fury somehow infected them, driving them to senseless acts of extreme violence. No one was immune, especially around Tokyo. Even the Self-defense forces fell prey to this insanity, turning their guns on each other. How is this possible?"

"I don't know," Guildo murmured. "But the Fury has been growing exponentially here over the last few days. Yoshitora is at the heart of this insanity. I can feel it."

"So what do we do?" Saito asked. "Do we have some place we can fall back to?"

"Captain Fargo lies just offshore on the Chimera," Guildo stated. "I received word from him just before you arrived that the mass insanity is spreading like a virus throughout Japan. Somehow, the diclonius Fury has infected the populations in these major cities. I suspect that the jump may have been caused by a handful of high-level diclonii who are using their power to create mass panic and hysteria in those populations. Whatever we do, we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into these areas where the Fury has tainted the general human population."

"I agree," Doug stated. "We barely escaped the dragnet the Self-defense forces set up around Tokyo. The humans were in a panic trying to escape the marauding diclonii and were being slaughtered by their own kind. Right after we slipped through, I felt something I never felt before. The Fury fell like a fog on the whole area and the humans went absolutely nuts. They attacked anything and everything that moved. On several occasions, we saw them eating each other like out of some zombie flick. It was grotesque. We had to plow through a crowd of them with our van. I remember looking one in the eye as he clung to the door trying to smash open the window with his head. It was like he had lost his soul. All that was left was a murderous animalistic instinct. They became brutes not even resembling a human."

"Where did you run out of the madness?" Jubei asked.

"Twenty kilometers outside of the Self-defense perimeter," Saito stated. "Once there, the people we saw were fleeing into the mountains with no thought of attacking either us or each other. I've never seen anything like that madness. It's like the madness we see in the rogue diclonius, but somehow it infected millions of people simultaneously."

"Do you have any idea of where the Fury is centered?" Guildo asked.

"We had to avoid the major cities," Doug stated. "The Fury-induced madness in the humans seems to be centered in the large cities for the moment, especially around Tokyo."

"Then how did you get all the way down here without going through the major cities?" Suko asked. "You just can't drive all the way here without doing that."

"That's because we didn't drive," Doug stated. "We sailed down the coast on a large yacht filled with refugees from Fuji." He saw the question in their faces and clarified. "We ran out gas at Fuji. While trying to find fuel, we encountered an elderly couple who were cornered by a couple of rogues. We dealt with the rogues and as a gesture of gratitude, they offered to take us anywhere we wanted in their yacht. In fact, they insisted when they saw we had the Emperor with us and that we were trying to get him to safety. When we boarded the yacht, we found we weren't the only ones on board. We saw two dozen other humans on the ship who were trying to escape the carnage. Strangely, they didn't care that we were diclonius. Maybe it was the fact that we were caring for the Emperor and Saito that swayed their opinion. Who knows? But they did watch us closely the whole time. The trip remained uneventful until just off shore down here. A volley of cruise missiles came out of nowhere and struck our ship, sending the yacht to the bottom and killing everyone but us. The others didn't have a chance."

"How did you escape the missile attack?" Jubei asked.

"We were on the deck when I saw the missiles coming in," Doug reported. "I grabbed the Emperor and ordered everyone to jump overboard. The missiles hit just as we jumped. The concussion threw us a hundred yards, knocking out the Emperor and Saito. Naomi and I managed to shake it off, but took some shrapnel in the back. It's stinging pretty bad right now."

"But how did you get ashore?" David queried.

"We weren't the only thing thrown by the explosion," Doug stated. "An inflatable lifeboat from the yacht landed close by and intact. We pulled the pin to inflate it and used it to get to shore where we met up with Master Akira several hours ago. He said he was going back to Aso to get Lucy and her family to bring them here."

"That's what he told us," Guildo said softly. "Sounds like you were very lucky today."

"I can't argue that," Doug murmured. "The madness in the humans is spreading like a virus. How we escaped Tokyo is a wonder. I don't know what's going on in the other cities in Japan, but the ones we had contact with, the people were either fleeing in panic or feasting upon each other in an orgy of killing. It's completely crazy."

"Apparently, the other major cities are falling to the madness too," Guildo stated. "The only place the madness hasn't yet reached is Hokkaido. But from what Captain Fargo told me, the diclonius Fury has jumped to the human population in nearly every major city in Honshu and Kyushu. Everywhere there was an outbreak of diclonius violence, the madness in the humans quickly followed. Our only hope is that we get the Queen back here, help her heal her fractured personality, and pray that she stops this madness by rebalancing the Collective."

"That's our prayer too," Naomi agreed. She suddenly sensed something ominous in the distance, something incredibly violent but not quite diclonius. "Captain, something's going on. I'm sensing a powerful signature in the distance. Its rage is incredible but it doesn't feel like any diclonius I've ever sensed before."

Guildo looked to the northwest across the bay with a very concerned look. "I sense it too, Naomi. A new player has arrived on the stage and you're right, it doesn't feel like a diclonius. But its rage and thirst for vengeance is incredible. I can't help but feel that Yoshitora is responsible for this new player."

"He might be," Jubei stated. "But whoever this is, his hatred for Yoshitora is driving his rage. He's looking for something important but I can't tell what it is."

"I feel it too," Doug stated. "This new player is consumed by his desires. I sense only one thought from him: retribution. He's very dangerous. We must be careful and hope we don't cross paths with this guy."

"Agreed," Guildo stated. "Whoever he is, I can sense he's on the island moving towards us. Though I don't think we're his target."

"We should keep our guard up regardless," David declared. "He's out there and the clock is ticking."

"So it is," the Emperor murmured. "I can't sense this person the way you can, but I can see from the looks on your faces that whoever this person is, he's someone we should not turn our backs on."

"Well said, your majesty," Guildo chimed. "So we'll wait and watch, praying Master Akira returns successful in his mission."

"Amen to that," Suko muttered.

A convoy of three armored RVs sped down the road from Akira's sanctuary heading toward Tsukumi. Lucy, Kohta, Yuka, Aiko, and Myra rode in the back of the second RV with Kagami at the wheel and Li Mei riding shotgun. Shen piloted the first RV carrying four of his human colleagues with Tao and Cai riding shotgun. Duncan drove the third RV with Jin Ryu riding shotgun and Nana, Mayu, Rachel, Kaya, and two other human colleagues riding in the rear, keeping down.

All went smoothly as they passed by Taketa. However, Shen felt nervous. The road seemed strangely deserted. "I don't like this," Shen muttered into his radio link with Kagami and Duncan. "I haven't seen anything since we left Sanctuary. This isn't normal for this stretch of road."

"I know," Kagami stated. "Something is up. Li Mei, can you sense anything?"

"I'm sorry," Li Mei replied. "The Fury is so dense I can hardly sense anything beyond the convoy. All I feeling is a pulsing mindless rage that's trying to penetrate my soul."

"I feel it too," Tao said through the radio. "We're in a very exposed state here. But so far, our cloaking ability seems to be confusing any nearby diclonius."

"I hope so," Kagami stated nervously. "We must hurry. I can feel a couple of rogue royals close by coming this way with nearly forty diclonii."

"How can you feel them through the Fury?" Duncan called through the radio.

"I don't know," Kagami replied, eyeing the woods as she drove. "I just can."

Lucy shuffled to the front, standing behind Kagami, holding on to the seat. "I feel them too," Lucy admitted. "They're close but I can't tell how close." As she spoke, the Fury descended on the convoy like a dense fog. "Oh shit, I can't sense anything now," she cursed.

Kagami gasped, she too having lost her ability to sense the rogue royals. "Me neither. How about the rest of you guys?"

"Something sinister is going on here," Tao growled. "I can't sense a thing and feel like I'm walking into a trap."

"Same here," Li Mei agreed.

Jin Ryu called through the radio urgently, "Eyes up, everyone! This is the same level of Fury I felt at Byodoin. The rogues are using it to camouflage their approach!"

"Right," Shen answered.

"I understand," Kagami chimed in. "Shen, go! Don't stop for anything!"

"Yes ma'am," Shen replied, stomping the gas pedal on the RV, sending it speeding down the highway at nearly 80 km/hr. Kagami and Duncan followed close behind.

Kohta felt the peril closing in as he hovered close to Yuka and Aiko with Myra. His face suddenly fell with great concern as time suddenly seemed to halt just as it did just before Yuka fell to the hail of gunfire at Kaeda house. "What's wrong, Kohta?" Myra asked, seeing his expression. He couldn't answer as his mind suddenly saw through the fog of the Fury, seeing the trap with the royals blocking the road with a large tree, tossing cars, trees, and boulders at the convoy to stop them. The deadly hail of massive debris demolished the first RV, which exploded instantly when it slammed into the tree roadblock, killing all in the vehicle. Kohta's attention turned to the last RV with Nana and Mayu in it. The impact of a thrown car, tree, and large boulder hitting simultaneously crushed the side of the RV, sending it careening off the side of the road and down into a heavily wooded ravine where it to exploded, killing Mayu and Nana. Kohta felt sick. He wanted to cry out in horror but was unable to.

Then a hail of large tree limbs pierced the front windshield of his RV, impaling Kagami and Li Mei while cars and boulders pummeled the side of the vehicle. It toppled onto its side, throwing him and Lucy down. He heard a sickening screech of metal while the RV skidded to a halt. Dazed by the hit, Kohta looked around, seeing Lucy out cold with blood running down her face where she'd hit her head in the fall. Seconds later, the top ripped off and vectors flooded the RV. Three vectors snared him while the other vectors proceeded to chop Yuka, Aiko, and Myra to bits in front of him. "No," he cried in utter desolation, unable to do anything. He then saw the vectors grab Lucy and drag her out of the wreck. "Lucy, no!" he bawled, struggling against the iron vectors.

A malevolent voice echoed from the darkness outside the RV, "Your existence ends now, human. No human has the right to be my Queen's consort." Kohta felt the iron vectors wrapped around him suddenly become razor sharp, slicing through his flesh in an instant. He shrieked, feeling pieces of himself drop to the floor just before the darkness swallowed him.

Another voice penetrated his consciousness in the darkness, one filled with concern. "Do not let this happen, Kohta. Remember, even the smallest person can change the future. You have the power to change this fate, but you must act NOW!"

Kohta abruptly snapped out of the nightmare vision and shouted, "Kagami…look out, incoming!" He threw himself down on Yuka and Aiko, shielding their bodies as a car sailed out of the bushes, striking the RV broadside, tossing it on its side. The crash stunned everyone as it screeched to a halt. Kohta heard shouts and incessant pounding on the RV. He shook his head, trying to regain his wits from the hard hit to his head when the RV toppled. Looking around, he saw Kagami and Li Mei knocked out from the impact. Yuka and Aiko appeared unharmed and Myra lay against the side of the RV roof, moaning softly, barely conscious. Lucy's moan attracted his attention. He saw her pushing up and lying against the roof, holding her head as it bled from a large gash on her scalp caused from her hitting the door handle. "Lucy," he called out, crawling to her. She looked at him with a stunned look, her eyes glazed as she struggled to keep conscious.

Kohta became aware of sounds of battle from outside. Without warning, the roof of the RV ripped off. He became keenly aware of vectors flooding in. "Oh no you don't!" he snapped, sending his own vectors out as he threw himself between the vectors and Lucy. He managed to snare the vectors that were grabbing for Lucy while cutting down two fury-possessed diclonius girls standing outside the RV. They fell in pieces from his onslaught. But from behind, a single vector punched his pineal gland, rendering his vectors inoperative while also sending him plunging into darkness. His last memory was feeling cold vectors wrap around him, lifting him up as Lucy called out in horror, "Kohta!"

Just before completely blacking out, a menacing voice said, "You're more trouble than the King realized, human. He has plans for your sorry ass."

An undetermined time later, Kohta came to in a cargo truck. He heard muffled voices around him. "Why don't we kill him now?" one voice asked.

"We aren't going to kill him," another voice returned forcefully. "Do you really want to risk the wrath of the King? He has special plans for this one. Just consider us lucky to have snatched him and the brat and gotten away. When that American Queen and the traitor Akira showed up with reinforcements, we had to abandon our primary objective. But now we have a way to lure the Queen in. That's just what the King wants."

"I still say we should kill this abomination," the first voice stated. "He's not like us. He's a human with vector capability. It just isn't right."

"Shut up," the second voice snapped. "It doesn't matter. The King will dispense justice on this freak for his contamination of our Queen."

Kohta's eyes cracked open slightly, seeing blurry figures arguing. He remained quiet, listening to the exchange with a pounding headache and the sensation of being bound. He stirred and the first voice said, "He's waking up. Let me kill him now." Kohta became aware the voice was female and filled with hate and violence. He watched the second figure smack the first.

"I told you to leave him alone," the second figure snarled, now obviously a male voice to Kohta. "Do that again and I'll kill you myself."

"Then can I kill the brat?" she snarled. "Surely she is of no consequence to the King."

Kohta's vision cleared just enough to see the male voice attach itself to an incredibly hostile diclonius man and the female voice become a female diclonius. She suddenly choked and gagged. "No, you bitch!" the diclonius man growled. "We were told to bring them alive to the King and that's what we're going to do." The diclonius girl abruptly slammed against the side of the cargo van, knocking her out. She fell with a groan next to Kohta. The male diclonius suddenly looked down at Kohta, seeing him awake. "Lights out, freak," he hissed, clubbing Kohta with a vector, sending him once again plummeting into darkness.

Kohta floated in a gray void for what he felt was an eternity. Suddenly a sharp pain hit him in the chest, chasing the void away. A sensation of tumbling uncontrollably in the darkness filled him as the pain moved through his limbs. Then as quickly as it started, it stopped. He heard breathing in the darkness. Then the pain of someone slapping his face with a piece of metal drove the darkness away. "Come on, you…wake up, damn it," a familiar voice growled. Kohta opened his eyes with a gasp as the owner of the voice slapped him. "About time you woke up," the voice hissed.

"What happened?" Kohta asked, suddenly aware he was free. "Who are you and where's Lucy?"

"The bitch is not here," the figure growled as Kohta's eyes cleared.

Recognizing the voice, he looked to the source of the voice and saw what he thought was Bandoh. But he couldn't possibly believe it. "Bandoh? But it can't be? I killed you in the kitchen with your own gun." He then saw a line of Stone Buddhas in the dim light of the emergency lights around the shrine.

Bandoh snatched Kohta by the throat with his cyborg hand and slammed against the rock wall, knocking the breath out of Kohta. "Don't believe for an instant that I don't remember that, either," Bandoh hissed as Kohta gasped for breath. "I should rip your head off for that, but that wouldn't do me any good."

Kohta regained his breath and focused, seeing a mutated cyborg version of Bandoh kneeling in front of him a metal hand wrapped around his neck. "And why not," Kohta wheezed from the hit. "You've wanted to kill me since you found out about me and Lucy. Now's your chance…go ahead, finish me off."

"Don't tempt me, shitass," Bandoh growled. "I'll do it and not think twice about it."

"Then why don't you?" Kohta asked, suddenly realizing what he was seeing. "Oh my god…what happened to you? You look like a Frankenstein monster made out of human and diclonius piece welded together with machinery. Who did this to you?" He also sensed Bandoh was like him, a unique hybrid of human and diclonius power.

Bandoh abruptly released Kohta and rose, turning his back to Kohta. Kohta saw his head sag with grief and anger. "Kakuzawa did this to me," Bandoh replied softly in a voice he'd never used with Kohta before. Kohta immediately noticed it. "Apparently after you blew me away, he had my body used in his experiments and created what you see here." Bandoh turned to Kohta, his eyes red with diclonius blood lust. "He turned me into the very thing he had me hunting. Now there's only one thing left for me: retribution. And you're going to help me get it." He released a vector and snatched Kohta by the shirt, picking him up and pinning him against the wall. "I want revenge on those who did this to me," Bandoh hissed.

"I'm not going to help you kill Lucy," Kohta declared. "She's not responsible for your present state."

"I didn't say I wanted to kill that bitch," Bandoh hissed. "The one I want is Sixty-six. He's the one who woke me. He's doing something that will kill us all if we don't stop him."

Kohta cracked a wry grin, seeing the irony of the situation. "I think I can help you with that if you promise not to hurt Lucy or my family. You may not know this but you and I aren't that different." In the blink of an eye, Kohta released a vector, prying Bandoh's vector off him effortlessly.

Bandoh backed up a step in shock, seeing the ghostly arm floating around Kohta as he leaned heavily against the wall. "You have the arms, how?" he asked, completely confused.

"It started with your attack," Kohta explained. "A diclonius named Jin Ryu Osabi rescued us when your bombs set the house on fire. He took us to a safe house and patched us up. Later, the safe house became compromised and we fled to Master Akira's sanctuary in Aso. On the way there, we were ambushed by a couple of royals with a small army of diclonius at Byodoin. Jin and his friends managed to fight them off, but not before I took a four-inch tree branch to the chest." Kohta peeled back his shirt, showing Bandoh the scar. "Akira showed up right after the fight and kept me from bleeding to death. But I needed a transfusion because of how much blood I lost. Lucy shared her blood with me, saving my life. But because she's the Queen of all diclonius, her blood altered me. I have vectors and their incredible healing capability along with a few other things I'm still discovering. However, I'm not diclonius and I'm not human. I'm something of a hybrid, just as you appear to be. I can sense your diclonius parts. That's how I am like them now, which brings me to the question why? Why did you rescue me from the rogues?"

"Because this crazy diclonius bitch who looks like Lucy told me to," he said. "She said I was like you and that we needed to help Lucy choose the fate of people everywhere. I really don't give a shit about anyone else. I just want to get that bastard who thought he was going to use me to kill you."

"You saw Izanami?" Kohta asked, astounded as he slid down the wall to sit down.

"If that's what you call her," Bandoh stated, sitting down in front of Kohta. "All I know is she looked like Lucy but she wasn't Lucy. I've never feared anyone. But when I looked into her eyes, I was terrified of what was behind those eyes. Anyway, she wants retribution for what's happening now and said you and I were key to ending this insanity. So since I am now one of those I hated and hunted, I figured that it was in my best interest to help solve this problem. I don't want to spend the rest of this life running."

"You sound conflicted," Kohta stated.

"I guess I am," Bandoh replied. "I want to gut both you and Lucy, but for some reason, it hasn't become that important anymore. I found myself asking why Lucy spared me when she could have easily killed me that last time. You know what I found out?"

"What?" Kohta asked.

"I discovered neither of you were my real enemy," he murmured. "I was being used by Kakuzawa. Now I'm being used by this Sixty-six. He wanted me to catch you and Lucy and bring you both to him. Then he wanted me to kill Mayu. When I heard that, I decided I wasn't going to be used anymore."

"He wanted Mayu killed…why? She hasn't hurt or wronged anyone," Kohta asked, horrified.

"Apparently he thinks Mayu is proving to Lucy that diclonius and humans can live together in peace," Bandoh stated. "It's an influence he wants eradicated. Since I awoke and was like this, I've found myself questioning many things."

"Sounds like you're not just after retribution, but redemption," Kohta stated. "Do you regret having attacked us like that?"

"Not really," Bandoh growled. "But I know now it wasn't the best idea. If I had just left you alone, I wouldn't be this abomination I am now. Anyway, the point is we have a common enemy. I'm willing to bury the hatchet for now with you and Lucy if you'll help me take this bastard out."

"I think it's in both our interests to work together on this," Kohta said. "But you have to promise that you'll leave us alone when it's finished. When this is done, Lucy and I are finished with this blood storm. We just want to be left alone."

"Deal," Bandoh stated. "Just tell Lucy to keep her distance."

"Okay," Kohta agreed. "I'm sure she'll not want to be too close to you either. Now can you tell me what happened? All I remember is our convoy being attacked and I getting snatched while protecting Lucy."

"I don't know what happened when they first ambushed you," Bandoh stated. "I arrived after their ambush went wrong. This American bitch showed up and started taking out those who were attacking your convoy. Then an old man showed up with three other guys and they decimated them. By time the old man arrived, they had snatched you and Mayu, and retreated. I saw them put you and Mayu into separate trucks after the ambush and flee. Therefore, I arranged a little ambush of my own several kilometers up the road. I was able to take the truck that carried you, but the one with Mayu slipped by me. I'm sure they're taking her to Sixty-six."

"Oh no," Kohta breathed. "We have to go get her. Mayu doesn't stand a chance with Sixty-six."

"That's just what he's counting on," Bandoh stated. "I believe he planned on using both of you as bait to lure Lucy in. But now he's only got Mayu."

"Did you see Lucy or Nana?" Kohta asked.

"No," Bandoh answered coldly. "The fighting was so intense I couldn't see them."

"We have to go after Mayu and get her back before she gets to the Institute," Kohta declared. "We'll lose her if we don't."

Bandoh slapped Kohta viciously with his metal hand, drawing blood. "Don't be stupid, Kohta," he growled. "We can't just burst into the Institute and expect to get her back in one piece. That's exactly what Sixty-six wants. We must out-think him. We have to come up with a plan."

Kohta glared at him for the slap, rubbing his face, but conceded to Bandoh's military experience. "Okay…how do we do that?"

"Where were you going when those guys jumped you?" Bandoh demanded.

"We were going to Ohama," Kohta stated. "We were going to meet Akira there and go to a submarine waiting offshore. A man named Guildo is supposed to be there waiting for us."

"Then that's where we should go too," Bandoh declared. "A submarine would be the best way to get in under Sixty-six's nose. I assume these guys are military who are running the sub."

"Yes," Kohta stated. "But they are at odds with the government who are now nuking cities to quell the diclonius rampage."

"I noticed that," Bandoh hissed. "What time were you supposed to meet?"

"Before midnight," Kohta answered.

"That doesn't leave us with much time," Bandoh stated, rising quickly. He snatched Kohta by the shirt and lifted him roughly to his feet. "On your feet, boy…we have to get moving."

Kohta wrenched himself free of Bandoh's grip and growled, "You don't need to be so rough."

Bandoh glared at him. "I'll be as rough as I fuckin' well please to get this job done. We don't have time to pussyfoot around here. People are dying. You have to toughen up or you'll join them. We are in a time when it's survival of the fittest. So suck it up. We have to reach the beach in three hours."

Kohta sighed, knowing Bandoh was correct. "All right, Bandoh. Let's go. Just be aware that I'm still getting over a serious wound."

"Good," Bandoh hissed. "That'll remind you not to get your ass into that kind of trouble again. Let's go." With that, Bandoh and Kohta left the shrine heading for the beach.

Lucy groaned as Akira helped her sit. "Easy, Lucy," he murmured. "You took a pretty bad hit on the head."

"What happened?" Lucy moaned. "Kohta…where's Kohta?" Her voice betrayed a panic. "Please, someone tell me they didn't take him."

"I'm afraid they did," a strange voice announced. Lucy looked around, first seeing body parts of nearly twenty diclonii scattered around the road. Smoke drifted from the smoldering RVs. Then she saw a diclonius woman with a gray stripe over her right eye, wearing cut up fatigues and boots. "I tried to stop them but wasn't quick enough."

"Who the hell are you?" Lucy demanded.

"This is Charlene Kusanagi from America," Akira said, "She was in the thick of the fight protecting you when we arrived."

"What?" Lucy cried. "How could you let them take Kohta? You know how much he means to me!"

"We didn't let them take him," Charlene said. "This was a well-orchestrated ambush by two royals with a crew of thirty-six minions. Apparently, you were the main objective. I was fighting my way to you when I saw Kohta get between them and you. When they saw me coming, they grabbed him and left you behind, knowing I was going to stop them if I reached them."

Lucy's rage boiled as Duncan walked up, cradling Nana in his mangled arms. She was barely conscious with all her prosthetic limbs gone and major gashes on her torso, back, neck, and face. Blood dripped from her as Duncan dropped to his knees with her. "They took Mayu," he moaned. "We couldn't stop them. There were just too many of them. I barely managed to save Nana but she is danger of dying from her wounds."

Lucy stared, seeing Nana lying in Duncan's arms and his tears dripping on her bloody chest. "No…it's happening again. I'm losing my family again!"

"No you aren't, Lucy," Akira stated. "Nana isn't going to die and we will get Kohta and Mayu back. What you don't understand is there are more players in this drama than us and Sixty-six. Charlene is proof of that. In fact, I am sensing a new, dangerous player who is in close proximity of Kohta and he's not with Sixty-six. But I can't tell which side he's on."

Lucy cocked up an eyebrow as she suddenly sensed the new presence with Kohta. "I can feel him too," she hissed. "But I swear, if he harms a single hair on his head, I will rip him to pieces."

"Calm your rage, Lucy," Akira cooed. "Now is not the time for it. Duncan, what happened to Jin?"

"He was knocked out when the RV rolled over," Duncan reported. "So we didn't get any help from him. We lost Rachel and Kaya is seriously hurt."

Akira cursed under his breath. "Let me see her," he ordered, taking Nana from Duncan. Holding her in his arms, he loosed his vectors and mended the damage so she wouldn't bleed to death. As he did, Kagami and Li Mei crawled out of the wreckage.

When Kagami saw Nana's condition, she became very concerned. "How bad did we get hit?" she asked.

"They took Kohta and Mayu," Lucy hissed.

"Oh my god no," Kagami breathed. "But why take them?"

"Bait," Lucy growled, knowing deep in her heart the reason for the live capture. "I was their main objective. When they couldn't get me, they snatched Kohta and Mayu in my place knowing I would come for them."

"She's right," Tao called out, staggering up carrying Cai. Blood ran down his face. "This was a trap meant to take Lucy and her family and kill everyone else. When Charlene showed up, then Akira with his boys, they had to abandon Lucy for their secondary objective. They didn't count on us having this much help."

"Let me have her," Charlene murmured, taking Cai from Tao. He gladly relinquished her to Charlene's arms.

"Who survived in your RV?" Li Mei asked, holding her bloody head with her hand.

"Just us," Tao growled. "Shen was killed instantly when they hurled a log through the windshield. The rest fell to a hail of tree limbs after they rolled the RV on its side then set it on fire. Cai and I managed to fight our way out of it but we both took some bad hits." He winced and grabbed his side, dropping to his knees. Li Mei caught him. "This was a military operation if I ever saw one," Tao added. "Did the royals get away?"

"One did," Charlene stated as she treated Cai with her vectors. "…the king of Korea. I killed his queen myself. Their fury is very disturbing. It felt like to me they were being controlled."

"I sensed that myself," Akira stated as he finished stabilizing Nana's condition. "There, that should keep her alive until we get to the Chimera."

"We should get out of here," Li Mei declared. "I can feel the other royals and their minions closing in on us and they are not happy."

"What about Kohta and Mayu?" Lucy demanded.

"We will get them back," Akira stated. "That's a promise. But we need more help. Kagami, how did Yuka and Aiko fair in the attack?"

"Just some bumps and bruises, otherwise all right," Kagami announced from the RV as she looked them over. "They're still sedated. Myra is out cold though. Looks like she took a pretty nasty fall when the RV rolled."

"Okay," Akira stated, rising with Nana still in his arms. "We need to move. Everyone get to my RV. It's just down the road a couple hundred yards."

"What about your fallen colleagues?" Charlene asked.

"I'm afraid we must leave them," Akira replied, deep sorrow evident on his voice. "We haven't the time to gather them. Preserving the living is our top priority. Take any personal items they have so we can remember them. Come on, let's go. The clock is ticking."

Duncan went to Charlene and said, "I'll take Cai. You help Lucy and her friends."

"Of course," Charlene answered, handing off Cai's unconscious form to Duncan. She walked to Lucy and squatted down. Looking Lucy in the eye, she said, "I'm so sorry I couldn't stop them from taking your friends. I know you are very attached to the boy. We will do everything we can to get him back."

"His name is Kohta," Lucy answered coolly. "And he's my choice. All we want is to be left alone."

"I know," Charlene said softly, offering her hand to Lucy. "I hope to prove myself to you and possibly be your friend, if you will have me."

Lucy sensed her sincerity and a soft smile crossed her lips. "I think I'd like that. Can you help Yuka, Aiko, and Myra?"

"Sure," Charlene replied. She released her vectors and gently picked up the three unconscious women, pulling them from the van as Kagami helped Lucy stand.

"Just hold on to me," Kagami said, holding on firmly to Lucy as they began walking down the road.

Charlene walked beside them with Yuka, Aiko, and Myra floating in her vectors. She kept a wary eye out as the survivors of the ambush followed Akira back to his RV.

Once at the RV, Akira took a head count of who was left as they boarded the vehicle. He had managed to secure Lucy, Nana, Myra, Yuka, Aiko, Kagami, Li Mei, Tao, Duncan, Cai, Jin, Kaya, and Charlene. Of his rescue team, only one diclonius man remained besides Akira: a middle-aged diclonius by the name of Bruce. After seeing everyone was there, he said, "Let's go, Bruce and step on it. The royals are almost on top of us. They're so close the Fury isn't hiding them."

"Yes, Master Akira," Bruce replied, sending the RV racing down the road toward Ohama.

Akira went back into the RV and looked over everyone, seeing everyone sitting around nursing his or her wounds. Only Yuka and Aiko escaped any kind of major trauma. He sat down next to Nana on the bed. Lucy sat next to her, watching over her in her own special way as Akira stroked Nana's hair. A sigh escaped his lips.

"What's wrong, dad?" Kagami asked, holding an icepack on the large bump on her head.

"This attack is not like the other attacks," he murmured. "It was carried out with military precision. Diclonius have not used these kinds of tactics before. It reveals a merging of diclonius wills. We have a serious problem on our hands."

"Oh you finally noticed that?" Lucy asked sarcastically.

Akira was about to answer when Nana moaned. He leaned over Nana from one side while Lucy hovered over her on the other side. Nana's eyes fluttered, and then opened. She saw Lucy first, then Akira. Sobs bubbled up and bloody tears flowed down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry," she cried. "I couldn't protect Mayu. I just wasn't strong enough."

"It's okay," Akira murmured. "You did everything you could. That's all that matters."

"But I failed her," Nana sobbed softly. "I was supposed to be her protector and I failed her."

"You didn't fail, Nana," Akira cooed. "You fought bravely for your friend and that's all that matters. You fail only when you give up. You never gave up so you didn't fail."

"But I couldn't stop it," Nana whimpered through her pain. "…and now Mayu's dead!"

"No she isn't," Charlene said, standing over her. "They took her alive just like they took Kohta. They didn't kill her so that means we can get them back."

"She's not dead?" Nana asked. Suddenly, it registered on her what Charlene had told her. "They took Kohta too? Oh no!"

Akira placed his hand on her forehead and said, "Don't worry. We will get them back. That's a promise."

"Is it true, Lucy?" Nana asked, looking up with pleading eyes at Lucy.

"Yes," Lucy whispered. "But I swear they will pay for this. This madness has to stop. I'm not going to stand for this any longer. The Fury wants a war, a war it will have and when I'm done with it, it shall know what true fury is."

Her words sent chills down every spine in the RV. "Be careful how you deal with the Fury, Lucy. It can swallow you as easily as any of us," Akira warned. "Before you can do what you need to do, you must resolve your fractured personality. Only as a cohesive unit will you stand a chance at waging war with the Fury."

"Then that's what I will do," Lucy snapped, staring him down with fire in her eyes. "I'm done being the victim. Now those who stand between Kohta and me will know what it's like to be on the receiving end…human or diclonius. This is not just purely a human problem or a diclonius problem. It affects everyone. I fix this problem with the Collective, then Kohta and I can have the life we want…free of hatred, blood, and violence."

"How do you plan on dealing with this?" Kagami asked.

"Oh…you'll see," Lucy hissed. "For those who stand against me, diclonius or human alike, I am their end." When Lucy saw the concern on their faces about her declaration, she added, "But those who are tolerant will live to see another day. All I want is to be left alone with Kohta and my family."

Akira saw the fire and determination in her eyes. "You are close to knowing your place, Lucy," he said. "But you must temper your wrath with mercy. Mercy and life go together and will show you the way into the Collective. Are you able to sense Izanami?"

"I'm not sure," Lucy admitted. "I feel something calling for retribution…something that I know isn't the Fury. It wants retribution on whatever caused the Fury to run out of control."

"Interesting," Charlene said. "I'm feeling something similar."

"Me too," Akira declared. "This war is fixing to move to the endgame stage. The players are in place and starting to move."

"I don't care about endgames or players or any shit like that," Lucy growled. "All I care about is getting Kohta and Mayu back. They believed in me when no one did. They are my family. If I have to, I'll go back to the Institute and tear that place apart brick by brick to find them."

"And so you shall," Akira stated. "Returning to the Institute is something you will have to do before you can face the Fury. I sincerely hope we can get Kohta and Mayu back before they get there because the Institute is going to be the battleground where we have to take down Sixty-six. It's going to be a very bloody affair."

"So be it," Lucy hissed. "Maybe then I can live in peace with Kohta and my family." She looked down at Nana, who had been listening in fear. A soft smile crossed Lucy's face as she patted Nana on the head, adding, "That includes you, Nana."

Nana's fear changed to joy. Tears dripped out of her eyes as she whimpered, "Thank you, Lucy."

Lucy nodded, declaring, "I don't care what it takes. We are going to get Kohta and Mayu back."

A/N: Welcome to the endgame. The rogues kidnapping of Kohta and Mayu have galvanized Lucy's resolve to end the conflict with Yoshitora and the Collective. But will she heal her fractured mind in time to do it? Moreover, how will she react when she discovers Bandoh was responsible for Kohta's escape from the rogues? Will she be able to trust the man who wanted her dead more than anyone else alive? Moreover, will they be able to work together to save Mayu from Yoshitora's clutches? And how will Yoshitora, aka Sixty-six, react to Bandoh's betrayal? The blood storm is rising to its climax and the all important question is who stands atop the corpses in the end: Yoshitora and the Fury or Lucy? Keep reading to find out. All the questions will soon be answered.

Beowulf Caverias


	22. Chapter 22 Blood Beach

Chapter 22

Blood Beach

Midnight closed in as Guildo and his group waited anxiously in his temporary shelter in the underbrush just off the beach. A scarlet gibbous moon cast an ominous light over them. Suko looked up at the moon with a violent chill racing down her spine. "Why does the moon look like blood?" she asked. "It's unnerving."

"That it is," Emperor Watanabe agreed. "It's like the blood of this land has splashed up and covered the moon."

"It's the smoke of the nuclear strikes causing the moon to look like that," Guildo stated as a coronal flash lit the western sky for several moments. A deep rumbling roar followed and he sighed deeply. "That's the end of Kitakyūshu. Yoshitora has set all of Japan on fire."

"Are we going to escape his wrath?" Suko murmured with a worried look. "Will he come after me because he thinks I betrayed him?"

"Most likely," Doug stated. "But he thinks all have betrayed him, so you aren't alone. As long as we are alive and together, we will stop him."

"I wish I had your enthusiasm," Naomi admitted. "This thing is bigger than Yoshitora…much bigger. I don't know if there's any stopping it."

"We must have faith in the Queen," Saito declared. "She and her consort will show us the way out of this nightmare. We must believe in her."

"You're right," Guildo agreed. "It's all we have left. We must help her in any way we can. We are all that stands between the Fury and life. We must be ready to give everything if we must for the sake of the rest of humanity."

"Sir," David suddenly blurted out. "We have incoming. I can't tell who it is though. The Fury is hampering my ability to sense who it is."

"Okay people," Guildo ordered. "To your positions...it could be Master Akira or some deranged diclonius. Be ready." Everyone took defensive position. Guildo, David, and Saito looked out through their screen at the beach.

"Where are they?" Saito asked nervously.

"I'm not sure," Guildo whispered. "But I sense something coming from the south." They watched with baited breath as the waves beat against the beach in the scarlet moonlight.

"This is unbearable," Suko murmured, shaking uncontrollably in fear.

"Shhh!" Guildo hushed. "Be silent!"

Two minutes later, a tattered group of fourteen people came around the rocky outcropping. Guildo, David, and Saito watched silently as the group approached. They immediately noticed the casualties among the group. Guildo's eyes widened when he saw Akira in the lead, cradling Nana in his arms. Beside him walked Lucy with Kagami helping support her weight. Those who weren't wounded carried those who were. A gasp escaped his lips as every diclonius in the shelter felt Lucy's supreme presence through the mud of the Fury. "By the gods!" Guildo breathed. "It's the Queen! Come…let's go greet her at once! Jubei, Doug, Naomi, Sen…you stay here with Saito, Suko, and the Emperor until I call for you."

"Yes sir," Doug replied as Guildo and David crawled out of their shelter.

Akira suddenly stopped as he heard a rustling in the bushes. "Hold up, everyone," he ordered. "And be on guard. We're exposed here."

Lucy scanned the bushes intently, sensing several diclonius who were not slaves to their furies. "I think these are friends," she announced. "I don't feel the burning rage on them."

Guildo and David stepped out into the open and Akira closed his eyes, lifting his face to the sky. "Thank you, merciful Izanami!" he murmured as Guildo approached. "It's okay, everyone. These are our friends from the Chimera."

Guildo and David stopped in front of Akira and Lucy, scanning the group behind them. Guildo's eye settled upon Lucy and he knelt to her. "I am honored to finally see you face to face, my queen. I'm also just as relieved that you made it here safe and sound."

"We are far from safe here," Lucy growled coolly. "And our trip here was far from being uneventful. We were ambushed. I am told you have a safe haven for us. Where is it?"

"It lies out there," Guildo said, rising and pointing out into the bay. "The Chimera is awaiting our signal. Now that we are here, we can leave this vulnerable beach." He scanned the group behind her and asked, "Where is your consort, my Queen? I thought you would be with him."

Lucy's eyes danced with dangerous fire. "He was taken by royals on the way here," she hissed. "I mean to get him back before they can take him to Sixty-six."

"Oh no," Guildo breathed. "By all means we will help you retrieve your lover, my queen."

"Captain," Akira stated. "We should get moving. We have three pairs of royals descending upon us as I speak with an army. We must get to the Chimera right now."

"Right," Guildo stated. "We can tell the tale after we reach the safety of the Chimera." He whistled loudly and called out to the bushes, "Time to go, guys! Come out and uncover the skiff!" Seconds later, Jubei came out of the bushes, followed by Suko, Saito, Sen, Naomi, and Doug, who carried the Emperor.

When Akira saw Doug, Saito, the Emperor, and Naomi, a smile of great relief crossed his face. "Thank heavens you all made it here," he said as Guildo, David, and Jubei went fifty yards up the beach and proceeded to uncover a large rubber boat.

"So are we, old friend," Saito stated. "For a while there, we didn't think we'd make it."

"Tao, Li Mei…help them uncover the boat," Akira ordered and the two royals went to assist Guildo.

Saito walked up to Lucy fearlessly, bowing in a courteous manner. "So you are Lucy…queen of all the diclonius. I am honored to bask in your presence. I hope I can be of service to you, your majesty."

"Don't call me that," Lucy hissed. "I don't like it."

"Forgive me," Saito replied. "I'm just in awe of you. So many people want to kill or use you for their own ends. Yet you stubbornly refuse to let them…very good for you. I hope you don't judge us by what a few rotten apples have done to you. There are many good people out there who want peace with you and your kind."

"They have a queer way of showing it," Lucy growled. "All I want is for everyone to leave me, Kohta, and our family alone, nothing else."

"I understand," Saito said. "I hope we can oblige you. By the way, where is your man…the one called Kohta?"

"Taken by rogues in an ambush on the way here," Kagami declared. "They were after Lucy and her family. But this American Queen came to our assistance at the same time Dad showed up with help. As a result, they only got Kohta and Mayu. But we will get them back."

"They took the little girl? Why would they do that?" Saito asked, mystified. "Diclonius don't ever take live prisoners, especially when they are humans."

Charlene stepped out of the crowd. "That's because they are being controlled by this Yoshitora with the Fury in a military fashion," she announced. "He means to use them as bait to lure Lucy in."

Saito saw Charlene and a broad smile crossed his face. "Charlene Kusanagi of SHIVA…I never thought I'd live to see your face again. Is it true that SHIVA turned on us too?"

"I'm afraid so," Charlene stated. "However, we still have Captain Fargo and the crew of the Chimera…at least that's what I know from my last communication with them."

"It's true," Guildo declared, walking up. "Fargo came to our rescue when the Japanese Navy turned on us, sinking the Kraken in the process. Now come on…let's go. Time is running out."

"Indeed," Akira stated, noticing Sen shadowing Suko. A smile crossed his lips. "Come…let's go." As they walked to the boat, Akira moved up beside Sen and said, "You might want to take a look through my group, Sen. I'm sure you'll find something of great value to you among them." Sen looked around at the survivors Akira brought and saw Jin being carried by Duncan. Her eyes grew wide and gasp escaped her lips. Her eyes snapped to Akira and he smiled. "Yes, my child…your father is among us. How long has it been since you've seen him?"

"Three years, Master Akira," Sen whispered as they reached the boat. "We had an argument about me joining ARGUS and haven't spoken since."

"I think it's time you mended that bridge," Akira suggested. "All we have now is each other. Family is a tie that keeps us from becoming the brutes that hunt us."

"You're right," Sen stated as she and Sen stepped into the boat. "I think it's time we forgave each other for the rotten things we said to one another."

"Master Akira," Guildo called out. "We have a problem."

"Not enough room in the skiff?" Akira asked.

"Yes," Guildo said. "I didn't count on you bringing so many. We thought we would just be taking you, Lucy, and her family with us."

"You're not going to leave us behind?" Naomi asked fearfully.

"Please…calm your fears," Guildo stated. "Of course we wouldn't dream of leaving any of you behind after all that's happened. I called for another skiff after uncovering this one. It should be here in a few minutes. Until then, I think we should send our wounded on ahead with Suko and the Emperor. What do you think, Master?"

"Excellent strategy," Akira agreed. "How many can we get in the boat?"

"Besides the pilot, it can hold eleven people," Guildo stated.

"Who's going to pilot the boat?" Akira asked.

"Jubei will pilot the skiff back to the Chimera," Guildo said. "I will wait here with you until the next skiff arrives. Now come on…let's get our wounded on board."

"Right," Akira said. He looked at Sen and handed Nana to her. "Sen…I want you to take Nana and Suko to the Chimera. Can you do that?"

"Yes sir," she replied smartly, taking Nana's unconscious form from Akira. "Will Dad be on the boat too?"

"Jin will be on there," Akira declared. In less than a minute, the boat was loaded. Jubei stood at the helm. Suko cradled Nana while Sen sat with her father, Jin. Duncan steadied Yuka and Aiko. Myra, who had awakened shortly after leaving the scene of the ambush, held the Emperor and Saito cradled Cai. That left Akira, Guildo, Lucy, David, Doug, Kagami, Li Mei, Tao, Charlene, and Bruce on the beach.

Jubei gunned the engine as he turned the boat into the waves. "We'll be along in a few minutes," Guildo called out. Jubei waved and in seconds, the skiff disappeared into the scarlet darkness of the night. "Come, my friends…let's sit under cover until the boat comes." They followed him into the shelter he created in the bushes.

"Nice job on the blind, Captain," Tao congratulated. "…very well constructed."

"Thanks," Guildo said as Akira watched the beach with growing unease.

Lucy looked around at the hollow in the center of the bushes and remembered when she crawled out of the surf after being gunned down on the 787 bridge several weeks earlier. The sound of those talking around her became a murmur in her ears. Tears welled up in her eyes. Kagami saw the rising emotion in Lucy and sat with her, putting her arms around Lucy. "What is it?" she whispered to Lucy.

"A bad memory," Lucy sobbed softly. "I hid myself in a place just like this after I washed up on the beach. It was there I found out Kohta was my salvation. I have to get him back. I don't know if I could live without him."

"We'll get him back," Kagami said. "I promise."

Lucy's eyes suddenly widened and a choked cry rose in her throat, attracting the attention of everyone. "What is it?" Akira asked, suddenly sensing something familiar.

"Kohta!" Lucy cried, looking around wildly. "He's here! I can feel him coming up the beach with something I don't recognize."

Akira and Guildo immediately scanned the beach, seeing two individuals walking up the beach…one with a pronounced limp. Lucy pushed up beside them and saw Kohta limping along the sand. "Kohta!" she cried, starting out of their shelter.

Akira restrained her. "Just a minute, Lucy. Who's that with him?" Almost as soon as he asked the question, he knew the answer. "It's him…the new player. We must be careful in approaching him."

"Fuck him and you!" Lucy cursed, breaking free. "That's Kohta and I'm going to get him!"

"Lucy, wait!" Akira called out, chasing after her with Guildo.

Lucy ran toward Kohta, eyes filled with hope and relief until she saw who was with him. Her rage blossomed as she stopped dead in her tracks. "You!" she hissed, vectors ready to pounce. "I should've known you were behind this!"

"Lucy!" Kohta cried out as Akira and Guildo approached. He rushed to her, sensing her anger towards Bandoh. Bandoh stopped a hundred feet back, looking at her with his own rage boiling. Kohta reached her and threw his arms around her. "Thank god we made it before you left!"

"What is he doing here?" Lucy growled venomously, knowing Bandoh was out of reach of her vectors. "He's responsible for the attack! I know it!"

"No he isn't, Lucy," Kohta said softly, trying to blunt her rage. "He saved me from the rogues and wants revenge on Sixty-six more than he does on us. Just look at him, what Kakuzawa and Sixty-six did to him. They turned him into us and he wants to make them pay for it!"

Lucy looked closely at Bandoh and her mouth fell open. "Oh my god!" she breathed. "That bastard brought you back from the dead as a hybrid!"

Akira and Guildo stared at Bandoh in astonishment. "That must be the work of Lazarus," Guildo surmised. "Kakuzawa fused diclonius and human parts together with machinery, making a new species."

Akira walked boldly to Bandoh, keeping his guard up. Bandoh stood there with his cyborg arms crossed, a sour, mean look on his face. "So you're the new player we sensed," Akira said. "What are your intentions toward Lucy and her family?"

"Nothing," Bandoh hissed. "All I want is to get back to the Institute and rip that little shit Sixty-six to bits. It's because of him that I woke as this monstrosity. Besides, he tampering with forces that will kill us all if we don't stop him. As for Lucy and her family, I could care less as long as she helps me take down that prick. Kohta promised to me help to do it. When it's all done, I walk away."

Akira looked intensely at Bandoh, so intensely it made him uncomfortable. "I sensed you earlier with Kohta. Did you rescue him from the rogues?"

"I did," Bandoh admitted. "But I was unable to catch up with the girl, Mayu. I intend to get her back. I made her a promise some time back and now it's time to pay that debt."

Lucy and Kohta walked up, with Kohta gently restraining her. "Why should we believe you, butcher? You've hunted me since I escaped the Institute. That stunt you pulled at the Kaeda house nearly killed all of us. By all that's holy, I should rip you apart right here for that, Bandoh."

"Don't threaten me, bitch," Bandoh growled. "I just soon see you dead myself. But we have a common enemy at the Institute and I'm not strong enough to take them all on by myself. All I want is retribution for what they did to me. Once I have killed that crazy son of a bitch, you, Kohta, and the rest of your fuckin' family can drop off the face of the earth as far as I'm concerned. I know you're tired of the blood and the war. That's why you didn't kill me the last time we met. I promised Kohta that I would leave you and your screwed up family alone if we win this thing and set things right. I didn't ask to be brought back as a mutant cyborg diclonius. Nor did I want to see what's going down. We both know where there root of the problem is and if you don't get off your ass and fix it, nobody is going to live to see another day. Now I'm here to help whether you like it or not. I don't like it any more than you do. But that crazy bitch with the strange eyes told me that Kohta and I were the keys to stopping this fuckin' insanity. It took me being turned into this Frankenstein's monster to realize you were never my enemy. The real enemy is at the Institute. So let's go and kill that monster, fix whatever it is that's causing this insanity, and tear that place apart so no one can ever use it again. Let's make the world safe for both our species."

"You made a deal with him?" Lucy asked Kohta with some anger.

"I had to," Kohta stated. "He rescued me from the rogues and moreover, he's like me…a blend of human and diclonius. His rage is no longer pointed at us, but at the forces that made him what he is now. That makes him a powerful ally. I dared not reject his help. Besides, we need all the help we can get. Plus, he promised to leave us alone after the job is done. We will never see him again once it's done."

"I don't trust him," she growled. "But he did apparently rescue you so that must account for something."

"I don't give a rat's ass if you trust me or not," Bandoh retorted. "But I gave Kohta my word and I will keep it. The only thing I require of you is for you to stay the hell away from me when this is done. I want nothing more to do with you or your fucked up family. Also, you don't have much choice at this point. I know what's going on at the Institute and know how to get in to retrieve Mayu. I'm going back there to get her and kill that bastard Sixty-six, even if I have to do it by myself."

"Lucy," Akira said softly. "I can see you have a great problem with this man because of what he did to you and your family. But you must let it go. In his own crass, vulgar way, I see someone who is not just after retribution, but redemption. I suggest that you take him up on his offer. If he turns on you, we all will turn on him and his end will be most unpleasant. Besides, he's right. He's our only chance to get close to Yoshitora. We must avail ourselves of this opportunity."

Akira's soothing tone curbed Lucy's anger and she sighed, still glaring at Bandoh. "Very well…as hateful as it is, I'll let you help. But mark my words…if you so much as think about hurting Kohta or betraying us, I will personally rip you apart while you still breathe. And when this is done, I expect you to honor your word about leaving us alone. Got it?"

A sinister smile crossed Bandoh's mutant face. "Believe me, you're not the only one who is disgusted with this alliance. Also, keep your threats to yourself. They mean nothing to me. I'm doing this to save my own ass. When and if we survive what's coming, I will honor my agreement with Kohta. You will not see my face again…ever. Now I strongly suggest that we go to the sub Kohta mentioned before the enemy overruns us. They are closing in on us. I can feel it through the boiling tar that permeates this atmosphere."

"The skiff will be here in just a few minutes," Guildo said, eyeing Bandoh closely. "Just so you understand the situation, Bandoh, everyone on the Chimera backs Lucy. You do anything against her or us and we will kill you."

Bandoh let out a disgusted snort as he stood nose to nose with Guildo. "Look, you prick…I will not be threatened, not by the bitch and certainly not by you. I've killed people for less. Now just accept it. You need me. I gave Kohta my word and I will keep it. I will not mess with them or your precious ship. Just get me to the Institute so I can have some good old-fashioned revenge. But if you threaten me one more time, I'll kill you myself."

Lucy's harsh gaze became ice cold as her face twisted with anger. She approached Bandoh deliberately, walking right up to him. Three vectors instantly swarmed out of her back. One punched his pineal gland, rendering his vectors temporarily inoperative while the other two coiled around him like snakes, picking him up off the ground. The move caught everyone by surprise as she pulled him nose to nose with her.

"What the hell?" Bandoh cursed as he found himself immobilized an unable to release his vectors.

"Lucy, don't!" Kohta begged.

"Please, my Queen," Guildo called out. "Don't kill him!"

Akira stood back, choosing to let Lucy decide Bandoh's fate. "Silence everyone," he said. "This is something Lucy must do for herself."

Her dark scowl reflected bits of Dark Lucy. "Go on, you bitch, kill me! I knew I couldn't trust you!" Bandoh roared, feeling betrayed once again.

"Silence, you pig!" Lucy snapped venomously, slapping him viciously. "I'd thought to give you a chance but you had to open your squealing hole and threaten us. No one threatens us…not Sixty-six and certainly not a filthy squealing boar such as you. As you said, we have a common enemy and as much as I hate to say it, you're right. We need you. But let there be no mistake between us. I am in charge here. You do as I say or I'll kill you myself. These people have pledged their lives to my safety…something I've never seen any but my family do. You threaten them, you threaten me, and I'm not going to have it. I am not the victim any more. I am the judge, jury, and executioner. I have become Justice and will settle this war once and for all. Now as Izanami told you, either you side with us and life or you side with the Fury and die. Choose now, soldier…whose side are you on? And be very careful with your answer. Choose!" As she finished, she released a fourth vector, which she made visible to everyone as it wrapped around Bandoh's throat, throttling him briefly.

A smile crossed Akira's face as he realized Lucy had finally accepted who she was.

Bandoh suddenly understood Lucy's place in the whole war and why she was so coveted. He could sense the boiling tar of her anger, but it wasn't a completely inhuman anger like the anger he felt from Sixty-six. In a fit of self-preservation, he croaked out, "Okay…you win. I'll behave myself and help you. No more threats."

A creepy smile crossed Lucy's face that chilled Bandoh to the bone…the same smile he saw on Izanami. Lucy patted Bandoh on the cheek with her hand. "See…that wasn't so hard, now was it? But remember what I said…no more threats. Save your fury for Sixty-six. Now I'm going to let you go. Cross me again and it's the last time, ever." She unraveled her fourth vector from Bandoh's neck and then stretched out the vectors she'd captured him with, sitting him down on his feet thirty feet away. In a blink, her vectors retracted and Bandoh staggered for a moment.

His hate for her blazed in his eyes, but knew he couldn't do anything about it. Rubbing his neck where she throttled him, he hissed, "You didn't have to be so rough."

"I'll be as rough as I fuckin' well please to get this job done," Lucy retorted. "Isn't that what you told Kohta? Well, the same goes for me. You're a soldier. Do as you're told and when this is finished, we part forever."

"Sounds good to me," Bandoh replied, gaining a respectable fear for Lucy. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Lucy growled, becoming weary of Bandoh's presence.

"Why didn't you kill me on the beach that last time?" he asked.

"You really are dense," Lucy cackled. "You already know the answer to it. I didn't kill you because I was weary with killing. What…would you rather I have cut you to pieces instead?"

"At least then I would be at peace," Bandoh growled.

"No you wouldn't," she retorted. "Kakuzawa would have still found your body and used it in his experiments and you'd still be here having this conversation. The moment you took to hunting us, our fate became yours. What…do you want to die now? I can arrange that if you want, though it won't give me any pleasure doing it."

The roar of the approaching skiff echoed over the waves as a breeze rose. "You really are tired of the killing, aren't you?" he asked in a much gentler tone that Lucy noticed.

A sigh escaped her lips. "Yes…all I've ever wanted was to be loved and left alone. But it wasn't to be. Now as I have matured, I begin to see the world in a different light. Blood and death are not always the way to peace. Kohta taught me that. You should learn the same lesson. It'll help you find your place."

"I don't quite understand," Bandoh said. "But I did cherish those moments of peace when I would clean up the beach."

"You're filled with anger and hate," Akira observed. "But like Lucy, you're starting to see a more productive way to express it than killing. Your cleaning of the beaches is a sign you're not completely lost to the Fury of your heart. As I told Lucy, you must release it and turn away from it if you want true peace. Having friends can be a great asset and way to turn from the darkness. I take it you have no friends?"

"No," Bandoh murmured as they saw the skiff pull up to the beach. "Not for a long, long time. The few friends I had either died or betrayed me in one way or another. I learned at an early age that the only one I could count on was me."

"Doesn't that sound familiar, Lucy?" Kohta asked, standing beside her.

"It does," Lucy whispered, realizing she and Bandoh weren't that different. Her eyes suddenly narrowed and she looked around with great urgency. "Guys…I think we should leave, like right now. I'm sensing six royals closing in on us with their minions."

Bandoh's face fell as he sensed the inhuman rage coming from the woods around them. "She's right! We are discovered. Let's get the fuck out of here!"

Seconds later, Akira and Guildo sensed it too. A hail of stones and tree branches abruptly rained down on them from inland. "Everyone get to the skiff!" Akira barked, releasing all his vectors, creating a shield the projectiles were powerless to penetrate. "Run!" he insisted, backing toward the skiff. The others hiding in the shelter raced to the skiff.

Halfway to the skiff, Lucy abruptly stopped and faced the woods. Her anger rumbled, a volcano preparing to erupt. "Lucy…what are you doing?" Kohta asked, grabbing on to her arm, trying to pull her to safety.

"No Kohta…no more running," Lucy growled. "The running stops here. I run and I once again become the victim. This ends here."

Akira heard her words and a broad smile crossed his lips. "You heard the Queen," he shouted. "Time to take a stand, my friends. On the line!" Everyone rushed to Lucy, standing with her, vectors out ready to take the onslaught.

"You in the bushes," Lucy shouted. "Come out and face me!" The hail of projectiles stopped and the bushes rustled as an army of diclonius emerged from the bushes, their red eyes burning in the scarlet moonlight. They quickly surrounded Lucy and her friends.

Kohta felt a pang of fear run through his heart at the vast numbers of them. "Lucy…is this a good idea? There are so many of them."

"Protect the skiff!" Guildo ordered.

Charlene stood next to Lucy, shoulder to shoulder. "I'm with you, Lucy. Let's teach them the meaning of fury."

A pair of diclonius stepped to the front of the army, a man and woman. "So you are the Queen," the diclonius man hissed. "I am not impressed. You think you're capable of defeating us with such a small troop? I think not. Surrender and be taken to the King so he can pronounce judgment on you and your traitorous friends for your treason against our species."

"I am not going anywhere with the like of you," Lucy growled. "It's not I but you and your King who have committed the treason against us. I offer you one chance to get out of this alive. Leave now and stop your rampage against the humans. Otherwise, all of you will die at my hand right now."

The man laughed her to scorn, not sensing her impending eruption. "Not likely, bitch…the only ones who are going to die here are your traitorous friends. Now get your ass over here."

The world ground to a halt for Lucy. In an instant, she felt the entirety of the Collective pulsing through her mind and body, complete with the power it entailed. Her eyes grew wide as Izanami said, "Now is the time to yolk your dark half as the agent of your fury. Pull your pieces together unleash your power as the true Queen."

In the plane of her mind, Lucy stood with Nyu, Kaeda, and Dark Lucy. "I knew you'd come crawling back to me," Dark Lucy crowed.

Lucy smacked her viciously. "I'm not the one crawling here, bitch. Like Bandoh, you're a necessary evil I need to accomplish my goals. You want to kill, here's your chance. You kill only who I say kill. If you don't, I'll purge you forever and you will perish. Choose. Will you help me or not?"

"You have my support, Lucy," Kaeda said. "Take my strength and make it yours."

"Nyu help, Nyu help protect Kohta!" Nyu chimed in.

In a blink, one more avatar appeared…Izanami. She touched Lucy on the shoulder and looked Dark Lucy in the eye. "The time has come for you to choose sides, Fury. You are Lucy's Fury. But you don't have to belong to the Fury. You can help us restore balance to the Collective. Choose Lucy and life and we will destroy the corruption that has festered in the Collective since I was born. Choose and you can become the arm of justice and vengeance."

"Need you ask which side I choose?" Dark Lucy hissed. "I choose Lucy because of what the King did to me. For now, I will help. But mark my words, if Kohta proves Lucy wrong, I will kill him myself."

"You will not touch him!" Lucy snarled, slugging Dark Lucy in the jaw with her clenched fist. "I decide and will punish him myself if he betrays me. But he will not. I know it to the core of my soul. Now stop stalling and help us. You have my permission to unleash your fury on those who wish to destroy me and my friends."

"Very well, Lucy," Dark Lucy conceded with a wicked grin. "Let's show them the meaning of fury."

Izanami grabbed Lucy's hand. "My power is yours. Yolk it with your pieces and become the true Queen. Let the King and the Fury know that you will not bow or be stopped. Kaeda, Nyu, Fury, touch us and let's show the world something they have never seen before." Kaeda, Nyu, and Dark Lucy touched Lucy and Izanami, forming a circle.

With their combined power, Lucy saw into the Collective for the first time and gasped, seeing the eternal war between Angel Izanami and the demoniac Fury. Izanami's power was there for the taking. She grasped onto it…a huge sword of power deep within the Collective. The surge of power it gave her shook her back into the physical plane. A gasp escaped her lips as she felt the power of the Collective coursing through her veins. Time suddenly broke free and her wide eyes narrowed menacingly. She stepped away from Kohta with vengeance in her eyes.

Akira saw this, sensing her suddenly explosion of power and connection to the Collective. "Oh shit!" he cursed. "She's in contact with the Collective! Now you guys are in trouble."

"Shut up, traitor," the man snapped, sending out a vector to silence Akira.

"No…you are the one who will shut up, forever!" Lucy roared, reaching out with a single vector. Her vector shredded the man's vector and then proceeded to cut him down in an explosion of blood. A completely surprised look crossed his face as her vector ripped him to pieces in seconds, sending pieces of his body flying as if it had exploded. The chunks of his body rained down on his minions with his blood. "He was warned," Lucy growled. "This is your last chance. Leave us alone or else."

"Saros!" the woman shrieked. "You'll pay for that, bitch! Attack! Kill them all!"

The army rushed forward, thousands of vectors coming from all directions. Lucy closed her eyes, grieved at the anger and hate she felt emanating from them. It fueled her own grief and rage…a righteous indignation that grew from the fact she could sense they were being controlled. "Enough of this shit!" she roared, releasing the full force of her fury and power enhanced by Izanami and the Collective. Everyone watched in utter awe and fear as Lucy suddenly had an infinite number of vectors that had no apparent range or strength limit. Her vectors spread out like a bomb going off, overpowering nearly a hundred diclonius and five more royals who had surrounded them. Their bodies shredded in pieces with limbs and blood flying high into the air.

Kohta stared in numbed horror at the carnage. In ten seconds, every deranged diclonius on the beach were scattered bits of flesh and bone, chopped so small they were unidentifiable.

Bandoh stared in disbelief, chills racing down his cyborg spine. "Holy shit!"

Lucy stared as her vectors retracted, tears streaming down her cheeks. An eerie glowing fog rose from the remains of the diclonius army, creeping toward her. When Akira saw this, he said, "Kohta…hold on to Lucy. She is about to absorb their essences. Keep her rooted with Izanami. I will do what I can."

Kohta rushed to Lucy and drew her into a caring embrace. She didn't resist it, wrapping her arms around him as she sobbed. Akira put his arms around both of them as the glowing mist flowed to Lucy, slowly encompassing her, Kohta, and Akira. "It's okay," Kohta cooed in her ear. "I'm here. We can get through this together."

The mist flowed into Lucy and she struggled to contain their furies. Akira sensed this and said, "Do not try to contain their furies, Lucy. Send it back to where it came from or it'll poison you." Then to the rest of the survivors, he shouted, "Everyone get down! The release is on her!" They hunkered down, diving for cover in the sand.

Her sobs became a growl that slowly built up. A scream erupted from her as she looked to the sky, venting her sorrow and rage. Kohta and Akira went flying, repelled by an unimaginable force that formed into a shockwave, flattening everything within two miles of her. The trees splintered into toothpicks as if a hurricane had hit them. Charlene caught Kohta and Akira with her vectors.

"Thanks," Kohta said to Charlene, rushing back to Lucy as her scream waned to a whimper. He cautiously approached her and said softly, "Lucy…are you all right?"

She wobbled, looking him in the eye. "K…o…h…t…a," she whispered hoarsely before passing out in his arms. He scooped her up and hugged her.

"Is she all right?" Charlene asked.

A relieved smile crossed Akira's lips as he touched her on the head. "Yes," he murmured. "I don't know how she did it, but she unleashed the power of the Collective. Only the true Queen could do that. But she is drained by it and her mind is still fractured. Fortunately, she was able to release the furies of those diclonii without letting it poison her. That's what knocked us down."

"We should leave this place right now," Kohta urged. "Who knows who saw this. We must get to the sub. Is the boat still intact?"

"Fate smiles on us, my friends," Tao said. "The boat escaped damage in the blast. I suggest we follow Kohta's advice and leave this blood beach before the others get wind of it."

"Good call…let's go," Akira ordered and everyone retreated to the boat. In less than a minute, Guildo stood at the helm of the skiff, piloting them out to sea.

"No! This isn't possible!" Yoshitora raged in Kakuzawa's office, sensing Lucy's explosive connection to the Collective. "How did she connect? It has to be that insect she chose instead of me! He's dead! They're all dead! I will not be denied!" He flung Kakuzawa's desk through the large window with his vectors, shattering both it and the desk.

"You underestimated Lucy once again," the King hissed in his ear. "I'm beginning to think you weren't the one to use to finish this game."

"Shut the fuck up!" Yoshitora snarled. "I will have Lucy. You just need to make sure I have the power to get her."

Yoshitora suddenly cringed, clenching his stomach in flaming, excruciating pain as the King growled, "You don't command me, minion. I am in control here, not you! Command me again and I will consume your essence myself!"

"Yes," Yoshitora wheezed. "I…obey. What do we do?"

"Good," the King replied coldly, releasing Yoshitora from his grip. "Don't forget that you follow my plan. I expected this eventuality. But I didn't think it would happen this quick. Your thought that the human has something to do with this is correct. We must separate them and force her to concede to us."

"How might we do that?" Yoshitora asked, his body burning with the lingering pain inflicted by the King.

"We have the girl, Mayu," the King murmured. "She is part of Lucy's accursed family. She and the pest she chose will come for the girl and that will be her undoing. We will use the girl as bait, luring them in. We will capture the insect she chose and make her choose us or watch them die slowly and painfully."

"I like that idea," Yoshitora crowed. "He's been in our way since the beginning. Now we will be rid of his meddlesome interference. But how do we counter Lucy's connection to the Collective? With it, she is unstoppable."

"Not necessarily," the King whispered menacingly. "As long as her mind remains fragmented, she will not be able to adequately use the full power of the Collective."

"So we need to keep her mind from healing itself," Yoshitora surmised.

"Exactly," the King hissed. "We must keep her off-balance. Granted she was able to wield the Collective's power temporarily, but it has drained her because of her fractured personality. We must bombard her mercilessly with attack after attack, both physical and psychic. She must not have a chance to recover. To do this, we must become one with the Fury. It's time for us to become the agent of ultimate destruction, Yoshitora. It is the will of the Collective. The Fury is ready to grant you its power."

"Yes!" Yoshitora roared. "Let me have it! Give me ultimate power to destroy my enemies!"

"Okay, you asked for it!" the King crowed wickedly, knowing the ultimate price of Yoshitora fusing with the Fury. "Just know it will not be pleasant."

"I don't care!" Yoshitora growled. "Give me the power, NOW!"

Yoshitora suddenly felt his whole body flame in intense pain. His mind became a burning hell that replayed every bad thing he'd ever experienced. A scream erupted from his lips as he grabbed his head, dropping to his knees. Then he felt a deluge of pain and suffering from every diclonius on the planet as the Fury poured into his body and mind. The anger, pain, and hate of countless diclonii melted into his core, absorbing his very soul. In his last moments, he realized his folly. "No…this can't be! I'm not…ahhhh!"

"Pathetic fool," the King cackled. "Only at the end do you understand. The price of direct contact with the Fury is your very soul! Now become one with us!"

Yoshitora vainly resisted the all-encompassing Fury as it consumed his very essence. "No! You can't have me! I will fight you to the very end!"

"Foolish mortal insect," the King rumbled hatefully. "You chose your path. Now you must walk it! You are mine! I am the King of the Furies…your path to oblivion."

Yoshitora struggled in his mind against the black acid tar of the Fury as it consumed his essence, a blob swallowing his mind. His last sight as Yoshitora was of the King of the Furies taking on a form...something he'd never seen before or expected. Yoshitora saw his own face twisted by utter hate and rage with thousands of vectors floating around him. Yet the evil twisted doppelganger that hovered over him had a ghostly visage of a skull with massive horns and long fangs that seemed to meld with his face making it seem like he had both a skull and a fleshly face at the same time.

As the boiling tar of the Fury swallowed him up to the neck, he screamed, feeling the burning rage consuming his soul bit by bit. "You'll not get away with this! Lucy will stop you!" Yoshitora hissed as the Fury engulfed him completely. His words faded away, echoing in the wind as his essence dissolved into the boiling black acid that was the Fury.

"She is welcome to try," the King crowed. "But you are finished and I can now live again!"

The King blinked, looking out of Yoshitora's physical body. "Yes! At last, I live again! Now the world will burn for what they did to us! And you get to watch, Yoshitora, as I tear this planet apart, starting with your precious Lucy!" He laughed maniacally. Then he called out, "Here me, diclonius in Japan! Come to me and lay in ambush for the Queen and her traitorous followers. Kill all of them, but bring me Lucy and the human, Kohta, alive so I may destroy them myself! Hear my command and obey! The day of the diclonius has dawned. Let no human survive your onslaught! Destroy all that oppose us, regardless of whether it be human or diclonius! There can be only one!" The King's order pulsed out at the speed of thought, reaching every diclonius on the planet.

Dimitri and Tanya heard the call on the mainland and grimaced. "Something is dreadfully wrong," Tanya growled. "The Fury is loose on the island."

"I feel it," Dimitri replied, face etched with deep concern. "Its rage is incredible. I've never felt anything like it. I want to obey, but don't know if I should."

Tanya looked toward the Institute from their place on the beach with a very sour look. "This is bad, very bad. I felt the surge from the Queen to the south, and now this. I think we may have been mistaken in trying to get the Queen for ourselves. Since this explosion of Fury from the island, I feel drawn toward the Queen and her light. We should alter our plans and try to help the Queen. She may be the only one who can destroy this beast on the island. I don't want to die and if we obey that shit, we're as good as dead."

"I agree," Dimitri stated grimly. "I hate the humans intensely, but this King's hate extends to all of us. I suggest we lie in wait with our army for the Queen and help her when she gets here. After she deals with that beast, we can deal with her."

"Very well, Dimitri," Tanya said. "Let's inform our troops." However, she and Dimitri found those very troops, fifty in number, surrounding them menacingly. Six of the most powerful diclonius in their army rushed forward, standing with Tanya and Dimitri. "What the hell is going on here?" Tanya cursed.

One of the six said, "The Fury pulse has overpowered them, my Queen. It has them. We must flee."

"I'm going nowhere," Tanya hissed as her army pressed upon them. "You take your orders from me! Now stand down!"

"I think not, traitor!" one of the traitorous diclonii retorted. "We all heard you. You've betrayed our King and our species by siding with the Queen. Now you and those with you will die. Get them!"

An intense battle instantly erupted. Tanya, Dimitri, and the six standing with them fought off forty plus diclonius who had become supercharged with fury. Their battle raged all over that part of Kamakura, destroying buildings and killing any who got in the way. Twenty minutes later, Tanya and Dimitri were the only ones left standing, though they were seriously wounded. Dimitri leaned heavily upon a retaining wall, blood flowing from numerous gashes. Tanya stood, eyes blazing defiantly, though her strength was waning. "We should get out of here," Dimitri moaned. "Hide until we can locate and join the Queen. It's our only chance."

Tanya dropped to her knees, exhausted and bleeding from many wounds. "I hate to admit it but you're right. The Fury has empowered the minions. They are beyond my control. Any ideas on where we should go?"

"Yes," Dimitri replied, staggering to Tanya and helping her up. "Three kilometers to the east is a remote shrine on a headland overlooking the island. Seems to me it would be a better place to hide than staying here. If we keep ourselves disguised, we may survive long enough there to locate the Queen and join her. As far as I'm concerned, it's the only chance we have."

"Fine, let's go," Tanya growled and they headed east out of Kamakura, heading toward the shrine, masking their presence with their vectors as they went.

Back at the Institute, the King, now in full control of Yoshitora's body, looked on Mayu with utter hatred. "Filthy, putrid human germ," he hissed at her unconscious form floating in the vectors of one of his minions. "But she will make excellent bait."

"What do you want to do with her?" Susan asked.

"Take her to the cages and chain her up like we were," the King growled. "But do not harm her in any way. A live wiggling worm fetches a bigger catch than a dead one."

"Yes sir," Susan replied coldly, motioning to the diclonius who carried Mayu to follow. As they went out of the King's presence, Susan guarded her thoughts carefully, thinking, _He's gone too far. This girl has done nothing to us. I must try to keep her safe somehow._

At the same moment deep in the computer core of the Institute, the viral animation of Kakuzawa's dismemberment continued its inexorable countdown with the clock registering 11:45:34. Barely perceptible fluctuations surged through the grid of the Institute as the virus slowly melted the fail-safes on the power plant regulators. The lights would flicker every so often; something the King and the rest of the diclonius on the island ignored because of all the damage they'd done to the system. They remained unaware that the fusion core of the power plant beneath them was a ticking nuclear bomb waiting to sterilize everything within twenty kilometers of the island.

As the skiff bounced across the waves heading toward the Chimera, Akira abruptly gasped. "Oh no," he moaned. "He didn't!"

In the half second that followed, everyone on the skiff felt the supercharged surge of the Fury wash over them like a tsunami. "Oh god!" Kohta cried in terror. "What on earth is this inhuman rage I'm feeling? It's eating me alive!"

Kagami put her arms around Kohta and Lucy, trying to reinforce them with her gift. "I don't know," Kagami hissed, feeling such pure anger and hatred it startled her. "But it isn't right. We must fight it. Dad, what is this terrible rage that has swamped us?"

With the seriousness of an executioner, Akira replied, "Yoshitora has done the unthinkable. He's loosed the King of the Furies and paid the ultimate price for it. The Fury of the Collective is now channeling directly through him. We must be strong and fight this rage and hate."

"But it's so hard," Li Mei moaned, clinging to Tao.

Kohta looked at Bandoh and saw a smug look on his face, as if he wasn't affected at all by it. "Bandoh, why are you so calm? I can see it has everyone except you tied into knots."

"I honestly don't know," Bandoh answered. "But it's like I told you before. We are in a time of survival of the fittest. You must toughen up or you'll die just like everyone else."

Guildo noticed Bandoh's calmness about it, though he could feel his overpowering rage directed at Yoshitora. "I don't think that's what he's asking," Guildo stated. "I can feel your rage. It's unlike anything I've ever felt before and it's different from the black Fury that is sweeping over us now. It's nearly as powerful as it and I feel only one thought burning in that rage: retribution."

"He's not being affected by the Fury because his fury is nearly as strong as it is," Akira stated. "Furthermore, the Fury somehow can't sense him. I don't know how this is possible, but it's happening as I speak. In this maelstrom of the Collective's Fury unleashed, he's invisible to it. That much I can sense. I think Izanami may have a hand in this."

"I don't give a fuck if she does or not," Bandoh hissed. "There's only one piece of shit I want to destroy and that's Sixty-six. That prick is dead and I mean dead forever."

"Careful, my friend," Charlene replied. "You may be immune to the Fury right now, but if you kill him, you will inherit it and not be able to keep it under control. Only Lucy can take on the Fury head to head. We must help her do that, not do it for her."

"We might have found a weakness in the Fury," Akira said. "It's obvious that Bandoh's resurrection was product and plan of the Fury all along. But it didn't count on Bandoh keeping his human side and will. Like Kohta and Kagami to a lesser extent, he is distinctly different from us, being blend of both diclonius and human. This may be the opening we've looked for. With a little help, you could use your fury to mask us as we come in to deal with the King."

"Is that a good idea, master?" Bruce asked. "He is pretty unstable."

"It's that instability that is keeping him from being affected by this supercharged Fury," Akira stated. "We must take advantage of it, if he will allow us. Will you, Bandoh?"

"Will it get me to that prick so I can kill him?" Bandoh asked venomously.

"Yes," Akira replied.

"Then we will take it to him," Bandoh growled. "They will rue the day they used me and turned me into this freak."

"But I must insist that you let Lucy deal with the King before you kill him," Akira declared. "Otherwise, you will become the agent of our destruction. The King of Furies will swallow your soul and use you to destroy the world, including Mayu. We must not let that ever happen."

"It is not I who will die, but him," Bandoh hissed. "Only one of us is going to be left standing and it's not this King. Shit, I will go into this so-called Fury itself if I must to kill Sixty-six and this King. I'm not going to have peace until I do. So let's stop jabbering about what if's and get the lead out. We have a world to save."

"Very well," Akira replied soberly. "We will plan our assault as soon as we reach the Chimera."

"About fuckin' time," Bandoh replied with a wicked smile.

A/N: The world burns in Yoshitora's fury. But all is not lost. Lucy finds her way to the Collective and briefly unleashes its power against the army sent by Yoshitora and the King, killing them all. But she is still not ready to face the true enemy…the King of Furies, who tricks Yoshitora into merging with the Fury. Will she be able to heal her fractured personality and mind in time to defeat the Fury that has been unleashed or will she fall to it? Moreover, what will Bandoh do as everyone sees how he is unaffected by the unleashing of the King of Furies? Will he help or let his revenge destroy all hope by not letting Lucy finish the King of Furies off? The world stands on the cusp of diclonius Armageddon. Will Lucy and her friends win the day or die trying? Keep reading to find out. As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	23. Chapter 23 Furious Origins

Chapter 23

Furious Origins

Mayu awoke in a diclonius holding cell deep inside the Institute. Her head throbbed as she instantly noticed she couldn't move. She moaned softly, her eyelids flickering before cracking open. "Where am I? What's going on?" she moaned, looking around the dim cell. Her restraints immediately became apparent to her: a soft metallic fabric imprisoning her from the neck to her feet in an eerie cocoon that hemmed her in on all sides and suspended her ten feet off the floor. A mysterious helmet with an open visor sat on her head, attached to the weird straitjacket, confining her. Mayu's heart sank into her feet when she realized her helpless state. Her body tingled, on the verge of being numb in her extremities. "Oh no," she whimpered, seeing the bloody floor below her strewn with decaying body parts from the people who once guarded the cell. "I must be where Lucy came from. But why am I not dead? Why didn't they kill me?"

"You live as a worm on a hook," a menacing voice called out from the darkness.

"Who are you?" Mayu asked trembling as a diclonius man walked out of the shadows. She could feel his evil and rage…a strangling, consuming hate for all life, especially hers.

A cackling laugh rose from the man as he approached, suddenly floating up to look her in the eye. Mayu looked into the burning crimson eyes of the man with his prominent horns and snow-white hair, gasping as violent icy chills raced through her body. "I am your death, filthy human germ," the man hissed. "But not yet. The Queen's feeling for you will be her undoing. After I kill her and that pest she chose, I'll kill you too. No one defies the King of the Furies."

"So you're the one at the root of this madness," Mayu whispered.

"Very perceptive of you, human worm," the King hissed. "But there is no stopping what cannot be stopped. Your precious love and humanity cannot halt the storm I have unleashed. Humans and diclonius cannot live together, ever, no matter how much you try to prove otherwise. The Queen will pay for turning her back on us. I will have her power and destroy every last human on the planet."

Mayu felt a suddenly surge of overpowering pity that overrode her terror of the King. "Why would you do that?" she asked softly, knowing he could kill her without thinking. "It just doesn't make any sense."

The King slapped her with a vector. "Because I hate every last human for what they did to us. You and your kind are responsible for the death and destruction of my kind since our inception. Not once did your kind ever see us as anything but monsters and demons to be destroyed. Now your kind will pay for your arrogance. The diclonius population worldwide has finally reached critical mass and the extinction of your species has begun. What I've started here in Japan will spread virally through every nation on the planet. The diclonius of the world will rise and attack the humans as I poison them with the Fury, driving them to turn on each other. They will kill each other in a glorious blood storm that will engulf the entire planet. No one will survive. It's inevitable as night following the day."

"How can you say that?" Mayu asked, horrified by his statement. "It's not true! I didn't do that. Nana and Lucy are my family. I don't think they are monsters. I love them. Not all of us hate and despise you. I don't!"

"Silence, you pest," the King growled. "There's no going back. Humanity must pay for their crimes against me and the planet. The blood of generations of slaughtered diclonius cries out for justice and vengeance. Now they will be avenged and the planet will cleanse itself of the contagion that is humanity."

"What did we do to you that made you so mad?" Mayu asked desperately. "If you're going to kill me, at least tell me the real reason why before you do. I don't want to see anyone die: not me, not you, not Lucy, Kohta, or anyone else. We can live together. I know we can. Please…just tell me why we can't. Does this have to do with Izanami and the Collective?"

A shocked look came over the King's face. "How do you know about the Collective?"

"One of you told me…a guy named Jin who rescued us from burning to death," Mayu declared. "I can see you're from the dark side of that place. Why do you fight with Izanami? What did she do to you to cause this terrible hate?"

"Enough," the King snapped, slowly strangling her with his vector. "I do not answer to human vermin. You're here only as bait and remain alive by my good graces. Open your mouth again and I will sew it shut." Mayu gurgled, gasping for breath as her eyes rolled back in her head. "Do I make myself clear?" Mayu managed a slight nod that placated him. "Good," he hissed, releasing her throat. She gasped as the King added, "Now hang here in the same restraints your kind used on us until I have no more need of you. Then you will die with the rest of your pathetic species. If I feel generous, I might wait and kill you last, letting you see the demise of your species. And if you think your so-called friends will save you, think again. They will not make it to this island. My minions will kill them and bring the Queen and her pest to me to die. You are all alone." With that, the King slapped her visor shut and floated away, leaving Mayu alone in the hellish cell.

Tears of despair rained down her cheeks. She felt the burning diclonius fury trying to corrupt her mind, taunting her. Sobs bubbled out of her until a solitary voice called from the darkness. "Why do you cry, human?" the voice asked coldly.

Mayu looked down through a slit in the visor, seeing a diclonius girl approach with a look of pity on her face. "I cry because I'm scared," Mayu whimpered.

"And well you should be, human," the girl answered. "The King is not to be trifled with. He's the Fury Incarnate. Even I fear him."

"Why do you fear him?" Mayu asked innocently. "You're a diclonius and certainly aren't in any danger of him."

The girl looked up at Mayu, opening her visor with her vector. "What's your name, human?"

"Mayu," Mayu answered. "And you?"

"Susan," the girl replied. "There's much you don't understand about the King."

"Why does he want to kill me?" Mayu whimpered. "Surely there must be more to it than me just being human."

"I don't know," Susan said softly, floating up to Mayu's level to look her in the eye. "But I do know it's a fatal mistake not to fear him. He's not after just the extinction of your kind, but us as well."

Mayu gasped in astonishment. "You mean he wants to destroy everything?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Susan whispered menacingly. "But not all of us are with that. I'm all for punishing those who wronged us, but not at the price of our survival. He has forgotten that we cannot exist without you humans. And I've noticed not all of your kind hates us to the point of violence. I can see that in you. Even with his threats, you still tried to reach out to him and understand his plight. That drives him mad. In his rage, he has turned us on each other. I'm not going to die for him and some of the stronger diclonius of this place believe as I do. We aren't going to let him destroy us if we can help it."

"Oh my god," Mayu breathed. "You're fighting against this madness, aren't you?"

Susan moved nose to nose with Mayu, staring her down. "Be very careful what you say, Mayu. Your life hangs by a thread. Don't antagonize him or he will kill you very slowly and painfully. The Fury of an entire species pulses through him and he will not hesitate to unleash it upon any human or diclonius who interferes with his desires."

"What does he really want?" Mayu whispered.

"The fact that the Queen has chosen a human rather than him as her king has driven him insane," Susan replied. "He wants to kill that human and the Queen so he can assume control of the Collective and destroy everything. We can't let that happen."

"I agree," Mayu answered. "If Lucy is really is your true queen, she is our only hope at fixing this."

"I hope you're right," Susan murmured. "Can we expect her to come here to get you?"

"I don't know," Mayu admitted. "But I know Kohta will try. Yet I pray he doesn't. I don't want to see him get hurt. He's the closest thing to a father I have now."

"What about the Queen?" Susan asked. "Do you love her too?"

"Yes," Mayu stated. "Lucy and I actually aren't that different. Those closest to us have betrayed both of us, though her betrayals are much worse than mine are. My real father sexually abused me and my mother hated me vehemently because of how my father paid more attention to me than to her. I ran away from home and ended up with Kohta and Yuka as my foster guardians. They made me feel loved and wanted. When Nana and Lucy showed up, we became sisters. I love them deeply and would die for them if it meant keeping them safe."

"You may get that chance," Susan murmured coldly. "But I hope you don't have to put it to the test. You're such a nice human, which is rare. I don't want to see you die."

"Then why don't you get me down from here?" Mayu asked.

"Because I can't," Susan growled. "Close to ninety diclonius roam this island now and eighty of them have become mindless drones of the King, having succumbed to his control of their Furies. There's too much of a chance of getting caught before getting off the island. We must wait for the right moment to act. I've noticed the longer the Queen remains out of his grasp, the greater his rage becomes. It has begun to affect his control of the others. I suspect a time will arise when his rage will cause him to lose control of all his minions. When that happens, we must be prepared to strike. Only in that moment can we free you. But you must promise me something."

"What, anything," Mayu promised.

"You must never betray us to our enemies, human or diclonius," Susan said severely. "Betray us and I will personally hang you with your own guts. Do we have an agreement?"

Mayu shuddered at the threat. "That's the same thing Lucy wanted. Of course, I'd never betray you. Besides, I know you're fully capable of doing what you said. I've been around diclonius long enough now to have some rudimentary understanding of what you can do with your vectors. Can I please ask for something in return?"

"You press your luck, Mayu," Susan hissed. "You're in no position to bargain."

"All I ask is that you let me be your friend," Mayu pleaded. "It's family and friends that make us strong, not the Fury I've heard everyone talk about. Please…let me be your friend. You'll not regret it."

Susan's harsh countenance softened. "I'll think about it," she whispered. "Now just keep your mouth shut to the King and everyone else. I'll be back to check on you after a while."

Mayu nodded with a smile. "I'll keep quiet…promise," she whispered.

"Good," Susan growled, closing Mayu's visor before settling on the floor and walking away. She glanced over her shoulder as she left, flashing an eerie smile at Mayu.

Once again, Mayu hung alone in the cell, feeling not so down. "Good job," she muttered to herself. "You made a friend there. Hope she can help as she promised and I hope Lucy and Kohta have sense enough to stay away from this accursed place. But I doubt they will."

Off the east coast of Japan, the Chimera cruised north toward the epicenter of the diclonius earthquake: Kamakura. Lucy lay on a bed in crew quarters unconscious with Kohta sitting in a chair next to the bed. The dim lights cast deep shadows in the room as Kohta watched over her. Kohta began nodding off when a knock came to the door, rousing him to alertness. Dr. Ravenclaw peeked in, bringing up the lights slightly. "Any change in her condition?"

"No," Kohta murmured with a yawn. "She's still out, though I can feel something stirring deep inside her. It's eerie."

"I'm sure it is," Ravenclaw whispered, checking Lucy's pulse. "I heard you received a large amount of her blood to save your life and have changed genetically because of it."

"Yeah," Kohta mumbled. "I think I'm still changing. I'm scared because I don't know what I'll turn into."

Ravenclaw turned a sympathetic smile to Kohta. "You must have faith, Kohta. You'll discover who you are. Lucy's blood will not change who you are at heart; just enhance what's laid dormant in you all along. It's something that lays dormant in all humans. Our vectors are merely an awakening of something that already exists in every strand of DNA. So don't fret about it."

"That's not what I meant," Kohta growled softly.

"Oh…did you mean you're afraid you'll become a fury-crazed fiend who lives for nothing but death?" Ravenclaw asked.

Kohta's head sagged in response, his eyes downcast and full of worry.

Ravenclaw smiled warmly, patting him on the shoulder. "I see. We all have that fear, Kohta. But you have an advantage over us who were born diclonius."

"What's that?" Kohta asked.

"You were born a human and know what it's like to be treated like a human," Ravenclaw stated. "You know what it's like to be loved and not hated and violently persecuted by humans."

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Kohta admitted. "I've had my share of sorrow, hate, and violence perpetrated on me by other humans. We treat each other almost as bad as we treated your kind. It's just not right."

"And that is what I'm talking about," Ravenclaw declared. "You have experienced both sides of the coin, whereas we diclonius in general have only tasted of the bad side. It's your experience that will show us the way, Kohta. I believe in you and in Lucy. You two are our only hope. You will show us the way out of this darkness."

"I sincerely hope you're right," Kohta whispered, yawning deeply afterwards. "All I want is for the world to leave us alone and stop hating people like you and Lucy."

"That's a noble sentiment," Ravenclaw stated. "Lucy made a wise decision in choosing you as her King. I dare say down deep she knew this was the only way to get what she wanted."

"You might be right," Kohta murmured. A knock came from the door. Ravenclaw and Kohta looked, seeing Akira standing there with a grim, weary look on his face. "Akira," Kohta called out softly. "What are you doing here?"

"How are they, doctor?" Akira asked Ravenclaw.

"Lucy is resting comfortably," he replied. "But she seems to be in a strange coma of some kind. It may have to do with her connecting to the Collective to save you on the beach. Kohta, on the other hand, is fine, just exhausted and worried about her."

"And rightfully so," Akira answered. "He loves her more than any of us can imagine. Could I speak with Kohta in private for a few moments?"

"Of course, Master Akira," Ravenclaw said. "I have to go check on the other two wounded ladies you brought with you anyhow."

"Let me know how Yuka and Aiko are doing when you get finished," Kohta murmured. Ravenclaw nodded with a pleasant smile and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"What do you want to tell me, Akira?" Kohta asked.

Akira sighed, sitting down on the bed next to Lucy. His sad eyes betrayed deep worry. Tears began dripping from of his eyes as he gently grasped her hand, holding it. Kohta saw this and marveled. He'd never seen Akira display such emotion before. "What's wrong?" Kohta whispered. "Why are you crying?"

"She has endured such pain and hardship," Akira whispered, choked with emotion. "And I fear it's only going to get worse before it gets better."

"What are you saying?" Kohta asked sharply.

"Kohta, the final battle for the Collective is upon us," Akira said. "The King of Furies is unleashed on an unsuspecting world and I don't have the power or strength to hold back the flood any longer. I cannot protect you and Lucy at this point, much less myself. I can feel the King's poisonous fury eroding my soul. I don't want to hurt you or Lucy so when the time comes, I want you to do something for me: the last request of a tired old man who has seen far too much blood and tears."

Kohta touched Akira on the shoulder, dreading Akira's next words. "You can't mean…," he said, trailing off with deep fear scratching his tone.

Akira let go of Lucy's hand and took Kohta's hand, looking deep into his eyes. "Yes Kohta. I want you to kill me and take my power."

A horrified gasp escaped Kohta's lips. "I can't do that! You're my friend!"

"You misunderstand me, son," Akira said.

"And how is that?" Kohta retorted. "You want me to KILL you. I won't do it!"

Akira sighed deeply. "I know it is a hard thing I'm asking of you, Kohta. But it is the only way. You are the son I never had and I want to pass on what I know to you, father to son. You're going to need what I have in order to help Lucy resolve the conflict within the Collective. I want you and Lucy to have the peace I never had. Together with my power, you have a chance to literally change the world and make a lasting peace between both our kinds."

Tears streamed down Kohta's cheeks. "But I can't, Akira. You saved our lives. How can I repay that with murder?" Kohta asked.

A smile crossed Akira's lips. "As I said, you misunderstand what I want, Kohta. I value my life dearly. But I know my time is slipping away. My course is almost run and I see the finish line. You, my son, are the finish line. It's the heritage of every diclonius to pass on his or her power to another. I'm choosing you as my heir, Kohta. I want you to have my essence and power. This flesh is nothing but a vessel and my vessel is worn out. Please, son…I'm begging you. When the time comes, I want your hand to send me to Izanami."

"But I," Kohta stammered.

"Please, Kohta," Akira begged. "Izanami…please help him understand what I'm asking of him."

In the blink of an eye, Kohta found himself on the desolate plain standing within arm's length of the Collective. A crimson glow lit everything and ominous rumblings shook the ground as he stared at the boiling white clouds inside the shimmering dome. His eyes grew wide as he realized where he was. A hand fell on his shoulder from behind and he turned around in fright, tripping over his own feet and falling headlong toward the edge of the Collective. A cry of fright escaped his lips as he tumbled, only to be pulled back at the last minute by a strong, firm hand. "Don't worry, son. I have you," a familiar voice said.

Kohta looked up, seeing the smiling face of Akira. "Geeze Akira, you scared the shit out of me," Kohta breathed in relief.

"Sorry, son," Akira stated as he sat Kohta on his feet. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Why are we here again?" Kohta asked. "The Collective doesn't look right and what is this hellish red light?"

"This is the result of what Yoshitora did by releasing the King of the Furies," Akira stated. "The heart of the Fury has broken out of the Collective and is spreading across the world now. We must put it back."

"But how?" Kohta asked. "And how does me killing you fit into that? I don't want to kill you. I love you."

"And if you love him, that is exactly what you must do," a voice boomed from the boiling white clouds of the Collective. "This has been his job from the beginning."

They looked and saw Izanami standing just inside the Collective with Lucy, Kaeda, Nyu, and Dark Lucy. "Lucy…what are you doing in there?" Kohta cried out, rushing to the edge of the Collective.

A creepy smile crossed Lucy's face that chilled Kohta to the bone. "Kohta! Kohta!" Nyu chimed with innocent delight, rushing toward Kohta from the inside of the Collective.

Kaeda reached out and restrained Nyu. "Not yet, Nyu. Kohta must understand what is happening here before he can come to us."

"Kaeda's right," Akira stated as Izanami gazed upon the duo. "You must understand why I asked you to be my heir and kill my body."

"Why must I kill you to be your heir?" Kohta demanded.

"Because that is our way," Lucy replied, walking up to the edge of the Collective, standing in front of Izanami.

"It's true," another voice called out from behind Kohta and Akira. They turned around and saw Charlene, Tao, Li Mei, Guildo, and Fargo standing there.

Charlene stepped forward and looked Kohta in the eye. "This is the way of things, Kohta. Look around. What do you see here?"

"I see Lucy and her pieces inside the Collective with Izanami," Kohta declared. "And out here is nothing but a barren wasteland."

"You have seen truly," Akira stated.

"But what you don't know is that this barren wasteland wasn't always like this," Li Mei stated.

"Neither was the Collective always locked in a perpetual war between Light and Darkness," Tao added. "What you see here now is because of the imbalance inside the Collective."

Kohta's eyes grew wide. "How?"

"You will know in time when you take your place in the Collective with the Queen," Fargo said.

Kohta felt something shift in his spirit and he asked sternly, "Why must I kill Akira to be his heir? And don't tell me because it's just the way it is. There is something behind this and I mean to find out what it is so Lucy and I can fix it."

A broad smile crossed Akira's face. "At last you understand the imbalance!" he crowed.

"What are you saying?" Kohta asked, still confused.

"Kohta," Izanami called out. Kohta turned to her as she said, "What he is saying is that you have discovered something precious few diclonius ever realize: that we don't have to kill each other to pass on our pieces to one another. It can be done by will alone. Akira is one of the few that understand this. When he asked you to kill him so you could gain his power, he meant as a last resort. We value our lives just as much as you do. But the situation is critical and he asked you to take his life at the appropriate time to insure his piece of the Collective goes to you and not to the Fury. This has been his fate since his piece departed from me. Destiny declared that he surrender his piece to the true King. You, Kohta, are that King."

"I still don't understand," Kohta replied. "I can't wrap my mind around this. Can someone explain this to me plainly? Destiny, Fate…I believe the only fate and destiny is the one we make with our decisions. I don't believe anything else, otherwise I would have never fallen in love with Lucy."

"You have powerful faith," Charlene commended. "I believe as you do, Kohta. We make our own fates, not some god or even the Collective. While we live, we choose our fates and destiny. But what I think they are trying to say, Kohta, is that Akira is wants to die on his own terms. By asking you to be the one, he's insuring the treasure of his knowledge and life will go to someone who is truly worthy of it; not some deranged psycho who feeds on death."

"Kohta," Lucy murmured. "I think I understand what he wants. I asked the same thing of you on the bus all those years ago. He doesn't want his power used to destroy everything he's fought for years to preserve. And I think you know he's right. The Fury is eroding even him. I know you can feel it. Don't deny him his last wish as a true diclonius. He's offered you his life and piece so we can repair the damage that has been done."

Akira looked Kohta in the eye with the seriousness of an executioner. "I know you have reservations about this, but look at it this way. I will stand with you until the end. My life and piece of the Collective will be my final gift to you and Lucy, Kohta, so you can stop this madness."

"What about Kagami?" Kohta asked. "Have you asked her what she thinks about this? She's your blood, for crying out loud."

"It matters not what she thinks," Akira said coldly. "What I do is a matter of necessity. But I think she would understand."

Kohta's face twisted with anger. "How can you say that?" he asked, looking around at everyone. "All of this is about whether humans and diclonius can live together in peace. Whether any of you want to admit it or not, you are all humans! There is no fundamental difference in us. If you reject the humanity that lies within you, then the Fury wins! Love is infinitely more powerful than hate. I…" Kohta suddenly gasped as he realized what Akira was asking of him.

Li Mei put her arm around Kohta and gave him a gentle squeeze. "You understand now, don't you," she crowed softly. "Akira isn't doing this out of hate, but love. Look at him, Kohta. He is a very old man who has seen things we cannot fathom. He is our General and our adoptive father. We all love him dearly. But this is the way of things. Things that are born must inevitably die. Master Akira's time is nearly upon him. Please, don't let him die in vain. Take his gift and save us from this consuming fury."

"I understand," Kohta cried, embracing Akira. "I was so lost in the haze of hate, horror, and violence that I couldn't see the forest for the trees. How much time do you have left?"

"Hours, my boy," Akira murmured. "With the escape of the King of Furies, I have been unable to keep the cancer that's eating me alive at bay. It takes all my strength just to keep the Fury at bay now. As a result, the viral contagion that I've lived with all my life is free to finish its diabolical work. But I have one last surprise for the King. He will not get my soul. It belongs to you, my king. Once you absorb my piece, I can be at peace."

"How will I know when it's time?" Kohta asked.

"You will know, my son," Akira replied. "My piece of the Collective holds the military strength and prowess of an entire race. When I am gone, you will be the King and General of the Diclonius Special Forces. Link it with Lucy's power as the Queen and then will you be able to destroy the King of Furies and save us from annihilation."

Looking at Izanami, Kohta asked, "Is this true?"

"Yes," Izanami said. "Now there is one more thing to do. Lucy, it's time. He's ready."

"Ready for what?" Kohta asked.

"To join us," Lucy said bluntly, reaching out through the membrane of the Collective. "Izanami has one last thing to show you and in order for you to see it, you must be in here with us. Take my hand and come into the light of the Collective."

Kohta hesitated, remembering what he saw before when unprepared diclonius touched the Collective. "Don't be afraid," Lucy cooed, stepping partially out of the Collective.

"You have nothing to fear with her blood running through your veins," Izanami reassured. "Come and learn the truth of the Fury from its source. You can only combat the evil once you've seen its true form and source. Come." A tendril of wispy boiling cloud sprang from the side of the Collective and gently pushed Kohta into Lucy's arms. He didn't resist.

Lucy put her arm around Kohta and drew him through the membrane of the Collective. Akira's eyes widened with surprise and delight as the others gasped in astonishment as they saw Kohta unharmed inside the dome. "He is the one," Charlene breathed. "He is the true King. I didn't believe it until now. Only the true King could enter the Collective and not dissolve into nothingness. I am filled with hope that we can stop this insanity now!"

"I am too," Akira crowed. "A supernova of hope has exploded in the darkness of the Fury. Come, my friends. We can do no more here." With that, he and the others vanished from the wasteland outside of the Collective.

Inside the Collective, Nyu lavished hugs on Kohta as Kaeda watched with delight. Lucy watched with mild jealousy while Dark Lucy scoffed the display. Izanami smiled broadly. "It's so good to see such affection within my domain again," she said with pleasure. Turning to Dark Lucy, she said, "You can learn from this, Fury. You don't have to be so dark with hate for humans."

Kohta saw Dark Lucy scoffing at him and Nyu. He gently pushed Nyu back and walked up to Dark Lucy. Pity showed on his face. Then a wicked smile crossed his lips as everyone watched. "I remember you," he said. "I can feel your influence within the blood that courses through me. But I don't hate you for what you did. Do you still doubt me? Do you still think I will betray you after everything that has happened?"

Dark Lucy reached out to smack him and he caught the strike before it came anywhere close. "Please don't do that," Kohta begged. "I don't want to hurt you or anyone else. But I will do what I must to protect those I love. Your hate can do nothing against the love I feel for Lucy."

"We shall see," Dark Lucy hissed. "But I must admit, you are strange for a human. Despite my better judgment, I find myself liking you. You're strong, very strong, which is something I respect."

"Then I have made some progress showing you not all humans are worthy of death," Kohta replied. Without warning, he flung himself at Dark Lucy, scooping her up in a gentle hug. "Love is so much more powerful than hate. Can you not feel my love?" he asked, holding her tight.

Dark Lucy's eyes grew wide as she felt the white-hot power of his love burning through her dark heart. She shrieked, pushing him back and falling down on her butt. Kaeda chuckled at the display. Kohta approached boldly and squatted down next to her while Lucy, Kaeda, Nyu, and Izanami watched. Dark Lucy scurried back a few steps until she backed against Lucy, who looked down at her with mixed emotions. Kohta sighed and said, "You don't need to be afraid of us. I know you felt my love. I also know you have a right to your anger and hate. I don't deny this. Great strength and power can be had in anger and hate. But only when it's properly targeted can it be an asset. When it consumes you, it becomes a double-edged sword. Believe it or not, I saw you on the beach when Lucy saved us. You followed her direction and saved us all with your power. That's how you need to act...with focus and restraint following Lucy's direction. After all, you are part of her and not the other way around."

"Who are you to tell me how to act?" Dark Lucy hissed.

"I'm not telling you anything," Kohta said. "I'm just pointing out the obvious. You are just as much a part of Lucy as Kaeda and Nyu are. Only together can you be strong. If we don't pull together, this King of Furies will eat us for lunch."

"He's right, Fury," Izanami stated. "Your greatest power is in working together with your other pieces. You are all part of one piece that came from me. You were never meant to be separated and this is where the crux of the imbalance lies. I know where you came from, Fury."

"No you don't," Dark Lucy growled.

Lucy slapped her and said, "Be quiet, you. I want to hear this. All my life I've been fragmented. Now I'm going to know why."

"I've waited a long, long time for you to come to me, Lucy," Izanami said. "Now you will know the truth of your existence." Izanami held out her hands and an image of a sphere with golden puzzle pieces missing appeared in front of her. "This is an image of the body of the Collective from which every diclonius who is born receives a piece according to their place in the Collective. Each of you has a piece of this within you."

"What about me?" Kohta asked. "Akira said I received a piece of Lucy's piece. Is this true?"

"Yes, in a way," Izanami said. With a wave of her hand, images of the pieces of the Collective held within each person floated in front of them. "Lucy has the largest piece of any diclonius because she is the Queen of the Diclonius Universe. However, it was shattered into five pieces because of Kakuzawa's evil. Initially, Lucy started with only one piece. When she awoke to her powers as a diclonius, it broke into two pieces: Lucy and the Fury. However, when she escaped Kakuzawa's prison, the bullet meant to kill her merely shattered her piece into two more: Nyu and Kaeda. Nyu remained in the open with Lucy and the Fury while Kaeda sat in the background until that fateful night on the Stone Stairs. Kohta…your love freed Kaeda and her connection back to me. Finally, when Lucy made the decision to save you with her blood, Kohta, she unknowingly, yet willingly sheared off the final piece, giving it to you to save your life. Now look at how the pieces fit together." Izanami waved her hands in a circular fashion and the images of the pieces came together in a large piece with a tiny hole in the middle.

Kohta saw the hole in the center and asked, "What is that hole there for? Is there another piece she didn't know about?"

"Yes," Izanami replied as Lucy, Kaeda, Nyu, and Dark Lucy stared at the assembled piece. "Lucy was unaware of that piece and it really wasn't needed for her to be a complete person. However, for her to be the true Queen, it is essential."

"Whose piece goes there?" Nyu asked innocently.

"I think we all know who goes there," Kaeda said.

"That's you, isn't it?" Lucy asked Izanami bluntly.

"Yes," Izanami answered. "Without my direct connecting piece, you will never become the true Queen."

"Where's the piece?" Lucy demanded.

"Closer than you know," Izanami said.

"Please don't torment us with riddles," Kohta begged. "This is serious. Lucy is ready to heal herself. Where is it?"

"The piece resides inside a diclonius to whom you owe your very life," Izanami said. "I warned him not to let the fury fester in him but he did and he nearly killed you because of it at Byodoin. As penance for his sin, I sealed my connecting piece inside him and told him he must give his life to Lucy in order to pass it on."

Kohta growled with displeasure. "Why would you do that? And don't tell me it's just the way it is."

"I know you still don't understand us," Izanami said. "So I will overlook your tone. The reason for his punishment is he threatened you and Lucy…the only hope this planet has of survival. When he realized his sin, he accepted my judgment. Though I fear now that the King of Furies is loose, he may succumb to the darkness that's been growing within him."

"Then why did you give him the piece?" Dark Lucy growled. "That certainly doesn't seem smart to me."

"I hate to say it, but I agree with her," Kohta said. "Why would you put something so important in such a questionable vessel? I've been told you have some limited amount of clairvoyance. Surely you would have known this King would have escaped his cell."

"This is bullshit," Lucy hissed, getting angry with Izanami. "Why didn't you just give it to me to begin with if it was that important? Besides, if what I'm hearing you say is right, I'm not the true Queen without it. I never wanted to be the queen. I just wanted to be left alone with Kohta and my friends. Is that too much to ask?"

"There's more to this than a rash decision to place an important piece of the puzzle inside a ticking bomb of a man," Izanami growled. She looked at Kohta and said, "The piece Lucy gave you was just a receptacle for your true piece, my King." She waved her hand toward Kohta and the piece Lucy gave him floated in front of him. Seconds later, a massive piece nearly as big as Lucy's whole piece appeared and clicked into Lucy's gift piece. "This is the piece of the King of the Diclonius Universe," Izanami declared. "The moment you awoke to your vectors, this piece became yours. It is the mate to Lucy's piece. Moreover, it has a connecting piece of me in its center too. Look here." She pointed to what appeared to be some kind of glowing sunburst piece in the center of Kohta's puzzle piece. "That is my connection to him. That is how I was able to draw you into the Collective without Lucy, Kohta."

"Oh my," Kaeda breathed. "So even if Jin turns and doesn't allow Lucy to take the piece from him, she can mate with Kohta's connection to make her the true queen."

"Precisely," Izanami said with a smile. "Look here…this is how they fit together." She waved her hands again and the pieces floated together and locked in with a click that made the two pieces one. "Kohta, your love and devotion to Lucy has given you amazing power. In order for you both to arise as the King and Queen of the Diclonius Universe, you must share your love physically. You need not kill each other to gain each other's pieces, if you know what I mean."

Kohta blushed as he looked at Lucy. She smiled and tucked her head shyly. "You mean we must make love in order to make this work?" he asked.

"Yes," Izanami said. "It is your love that will bring these pieces together into one. I think you've known this from the beginning."

"I guess I did," Kohta said. "But I can't help but wonder what will become of me. What will I become once this happens?"

"As long as Lucy lives as Queen, so you shall live as King," Izanami said. "When you have extinguished the infernal fires of the Fury, the peace you want will come to you and your friends and the world will finally step back from the brink of annihilation."

"Sounds good," Lucy said coolly. "But what until then? You brought Kohta and us in here to show us the origin of this insanity. Don't you think it's about time you did?"

"Absolutely," Izanami replied. "Such is the reason I summoned you here." She snapped her fingers and they stood outside a hut in a small village nestled in the mountains. A crowd of villagers stood outside the hut as a scream rose from inside. The people murmured as Izanami led Lucy, Kohta, Nyu, Kaeda, and Dark Lucy into the hut, passing through the walls like ghosts. "What you are seeing are memories of my inception. Pay attention to what you see here and all will become clear."

Inside, they saw a woman giving birth with her husband, three village elders, and two midwives present. She screamed as her husband coached her, holding her hand. With one final push and a gush of blood, a screaming little boy with horns came into the world. When the midwives saw this, they dropped the infant in horror, backing away. The infant screamed in rage as the father rebuked the midwives. "Pick my son up!" he ordered, incensed at their treatment of his newborn son.

"But sir, it's a demon!" one of the midwives cried. "It'll eat us!"

"You're useless!" the father growled. "At least give me a blanket to wrap him in."

"You're tempting Fate, Mamoru," the lead Elder growled. "That's a demon and it must die."

"You tempt your own fate," Mamoru retorted. "No one is going to kill my son."

The woman hissed and screamed, "I'm not done, Mamoru! There's still another one coming!"

Mamoru snatched a nearby blanket as she wheezed. The midwives huddled in terror as the father wrapped his misshapen son and gently sat him on the floor. Twenty seconds later, the boy's twin sister came into being. She too had horns. The woman sighed in relief as the father cleaned up his newborn children.

"You did well, Yuki," Mamoru cooed to her as he cleaned his daughter.

Yuki's eyes grew wide as she saw the lead Elder draw a knife. "Mamoru, behind you!" she warned.

"These abominations cannot be allowed to live," the lead Elder declared severely. "They're an affront to the gods. We must kill them now and send them back to the hell that spawned them."

"No one is going to kill my children," Mamoru retorted, handing his daughter to her mother. He stood and faced the Elder. "Now put that knife away before I make you put it away, Keiji."

"You fool," Keiji hissed. "The Fates have cursed your family for your disregard of the gods. We warned you not to take an outsider to wife. Now the curse will spread to us and destroy our village. The outsider and her fiend offspring must die and be burned to ashes or we will die. Will you condemn your own family and friends for the sake of your unholy mate and offspring? We cannot allow this to threaten our safety."

"Get out," the father growled, picking up his sword. "You allow fear to rule your hearts. If any of you touch my wife or children, I will split you in two. Now get out!" Speaking to the midwives, he said in a gentler tone, "You may go too. And thank you for your help." The two midwives fled the hut as the elders confronted Mamoru.

"Since you will not listen to reason," Keiji hissed. "Then you must die with your wife and children. We cannot allow these unclean things to live."

The three elders advanced with their knives. One thought raced through Mamoru's mind: protect his family at all costs. He attacked with a bestial fury. His sword drank deep of Keiji's guts, spilling them on the floor. The second elder felt his fury as well, run through the heart with fountains of blood spurting from his chest, covering Mamoru, his wife, and children. As the third elder raised his knife to plunge it into the infant boy's chest, he lost that hand to a well-timed sword strike, followed by a hit from the back of Mamoru's blade that caught him under the chin, throwing him out of the hut through the wall. That elder rolled to a stop in front of the astonished crowd with a large piece of wood stuck in his side. Mamoru stepped out of the hut, sword drawn with crimson fluid dripping from its edge. "No one tries to kill my wife and children and gets away with it. No one!"

The crowd stared in stark fear of Mamoru…his face twisted in deadly rage. "Is it true that your wife bore demons?" a man in the crowd asked fearfully.

The father's rage subsided as he lowered his blade. "No…it's not true. My children are just deformed. But they aren't demons."

The Chief of the village rushed to the scene, seeing the dead elder and Mamoru standing there with tears of grief and rage in his eyes. "Mamoru, what have you done?" he asked.

"They tried to kill my family," Mamoru declared.

Seconds later, the shaman appeared and walked up to Mamoru. "I loathe seeing what lies inside this hut," she said. "But I must. The bones warned me of a storm of blood rising from your hand that will plague mankind forever."

"Must I kill you too to make my family safe, Leiko?" Mamoru asked the shaman.

"No," Leiko answered. "It is not needed. Fate has already cursed your line. She will deal with you as she sees fit. Now if you would, let me see what caused such fear and hatred that brings the bloody Furies upon us. We may yet be able to salvage your mistake."

Mamoru ushered the shaman into his bloody hut. When Leiko saw the children, she shuddered. "Oh, the gods are very angry with us and you to have cast such abominations into your wife's womb. You were warned not to take this woman to wife. Now there's only one recourse to change this awful bloody fate. These two must perish. Otherwise mankind will drown in the blood spilled by these demons."

Mamoru growled, readying his blade for combat. "As I said before: no one kills my children. There has to be another way. Please…tell me there's another way and I will do it."

"It can be expected for a father to love his children," the shaman declared. "But you must understand. You didn't sire these abominations. A demon from the netherworld did. They are not your children, but an infernal brood that must die. You have until sunrise tomorrow to purge the world of these demons or you will feel their curse. You cannot be selfish in this. The whole world will suffer if these two are allowed to live. It's your choice. Either you kill them or we will. The fiend children must die and you must pay for your crime of killing those men, even though it was done in defense of your children. You cannot shed the blood of the elders and not pay the price of it. You should have heeded to the Fates. Now she thirsts for your blood." Without another word, the shaman turned and walked out, leaving Mamoru and his cursed family to ponder their fates.

Outside the hut, Leiko shouted, "This man has angered the gods so they have cursed him with demon offspring who will unleash hell on us if we don't purge them from our world. The gods have given him until sunrise tomorrow to purge this darkness. Set a guard around the hut and let no man or woman enter for fear of angering our gods."

"He will pay for his murder of our friends," the Chief said. "He will pay with the blood of his family. Ready the axes. They die tomorrow morning." The people present rumbled with approval at the sentence of death.

Inside the hut, Mamoru sat down, cradling his infant son in his arms while tears ran down his cheeks. "I don't care if the gods themselves deny us. You are my son. I shall call you Rayden, for the thunder of your arrival has shaken heaven and earth. I bestow my love and spirit unto you. In time, you will shake the world with your power and prove these foolish people wrong." He handed Rayden to his mother and took Rayden's twin sister into his arms. Cradling her, an incredible peace came over him that brought a smile to his face. She whimpered and cooed, grasping his bloody finger. "Oh my darling one…such peace rises from you that quells the rage and hate in my soul. So I shall call you Izanami for you gracious eyes have calmed my fury. Let no anger and rage poison your gentle soul."

"What're we going to do, Mamoru?" Yuki asked, fearful at what she heard declared from the elders, Chief, and the shaman. "We can't let them kill our babies. They haven't even had time to do anything wrong."

"I know, Yuki," Mamoru answered as he sat next to her. "There is only one choice. We must flee into the mountains and never come back here."

"How are we going to do that?" Yuki murmured. "I'm in no condition to flee and we're being guarded."

"Don't you worry about that," Mamoru said. "I will figure out something. We will get out of here. I promise." He reached out and took her hand. His confident smile gave Yuki strength.

The scene faded away, as if it were a movie. Kohta looked at Izanami, revolted at the hatred he'd seen. "When did that happen?" he asked softly.

"The diclonius have been around longer than you can imagine," Izanami said. "My brother and I were born into your world in the mountainous Emishi region of northeastern Japan during the time of the Yamato clan…around what you know as 400AD. It was a savage age where the Yamato clan ruthlessly established its imperial line with blood and violence."

Kohta saw the horrified look on Nyu's face and put his arm around her. She gladly accepted his emotional support. "So you're over 1700 years old then," Kohta surmised, unable to conceal his surprise.

"I guess you could say that," Izanami answered.

"I can only assume your family escaped," Kaeda said.

"We did," Izanami said. "My father killed the guards that night and took us deep into the mountains, raising us as regular children. He loved us dearly and so did mother. They taught us to be good people, not to lie or kill without cause. However, our past caught up with us twenty years later." She waved her hand and a burning hut deep in a mountain forest appeared. The hacked remains of Mamoru and Yuki lay strewn over the yard. Everyone watched in dismay as young Izanami and Rayden came rushing out of the woods, each carrying a basket of fish and fishing poles. Shock filled their eyes when they saw the dismembered remains of their parents lying on the ground. They dropped their catch in disbelief. Tears filled Izanami's eyes as she stood over her mother, shaking with horror and grief, looking into the gouged out eyes of her mother's head. She could say nothing. Only a howl of incredible sorrow and grief escaped her lips as she dropped to her knees.

Rayden stood over his father's mangled corpse. "No…father. Who would do such a heinous act?" he hissed, his rage rising uncontrollably. A curse of unspeakable power uttered from his lips with a demoniac howl of pain and grief. He loosed three vectors and demolished everything around him except for Izanami, who sat bawling holding her face in her hands. The trees splintered; the debris flying everywhere with lethal speed. "I don't care how long it takes. I will make whoever did this pay for it! I swear it by my blood and the blood of our slaughtered parents. They will drown in lakes of blood for this! We did nothing to them and they killed our parents for it!" He took his knife and sliced his hand. Holding his clenched fist over his father's split head so his blood dripped on it, he added, "By my blood, father, I will avenge you and mother on everyone who has hated us! I'll kill them all!"

Izanami looked up, seeing and hearing Rayden's wrath. She saw his eyes glowing scarlet in the flickering fires. "Rayden…you mustn't kill them!" she pleaded. "Remember what mother and father taught us! You mustn't kill indiscriminately for no reason."

He walked over to her and drew her to her feet. "Oh my kind-hearted sister…I hear you. I don't plan to kill indiscriminately. I know exactly who must die for this: the people who did this. Surely you want to avenge their deaths."

"Of course I want to," she sobbed. "But not at the price of becoming like them. We mustn't become like them."

"Oh sister…you are so naïve," Rayden murmured. "They have declared war on us. We must do likewise. Otherwise, they will hunt us down like beasts. I'm tired of hiding from them. I want to walk in the light of the sun and not be afraid."

"I fear for what you will do," Izanami said. "Will you promise not to hurt anyone who has nothing to do with this atrocity?"

"I will, my sister," Rayden said, embracing her.

She cried on his shoulder, feeling the burning rage rising in her. "That's it," he said. "Let it out. Feel the power of your grief. It will give you strength for the bloody work at hand."

Just then a voice shouted from the woods, "I knew you'd come back here, demons. Now you'll die like you should have the day you were born."

Rayden looked Izanami in the eye. "Are you ready for this?" She nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Good," he said. "Today we show these fools the price of their folly."

Rayden and Izanami looked around, seeing twenty soldiers surrounding them with bows ready to fire. Rayden saw their captain as he said, "Now we lift a twenty-year old curse from our land. Time to die, demons. Fire!"

The arrows flew and Rayden effortlessly seized the arrows in midflight with his vectors: twenty of them. A cold, wicked smile crossed his lips as he hissed, "You people have made a grave mistake. Before you die, who gave the order for our parents to be slaughtered like animals?"

The warriors gasped as the arrows floated ten feet away from Rayden and Izanami. Fear exploded on their faces. "Well?" Rayden asked sternly. "Don't want to answer a 'demon'? Then you just as well die." He flung the arrows with his vectors with lethal accuracy, killing all except the leader. Death cries rose in the forest as the captain tried to notch another arrow. Izanami lashed out with her vectors, snatching the bow from his hands and breaking it in pieces with one while stealing his other weapons with her other vectors. His eyes grew wide and he bolted. Rayden's vector sliced off his foot and then grabbed the captain by the leg, dangling him upside down in front of him. The bloodlust began burning in Rayden's eyes as he stared into the leader's terror-filled face. "Who ordered this atrocity?" Rayden demanded.

"You can go back to the hell that spawned you, demon," the captain cursed.

Izanami felt her ire rise and slapped him viciously with her hand. "Stupid man…no hell spawned us. We were born just like you. But because we were different and gifted by the gods with special talents, you think we're monsters. No, you're the monsters to be driven by such fear and hate that you'd kill our parents like this. Now answer the question: who ordered this?"

The captain glared in defiance. "Go on, kill me, you freaks! You'll not get anything from me."

"Oh I think we will," Rayden hissed, his icy tone so cold it caused chills to raced down Izanami's spine.

"Remember your promise, Rayden," she said. "No one who didn't know about this should die."

"Trust me, sister," Rayden said smoothly. "This foul excuse for a man is not innocent of our parent's blood. But he does know who is responsible. And he will tell us. I promise that." Rayden suddenly latched onto the captain with the same twenty vectors he caught the arrows with and slowly began pulling him in all directions. The captain screamed as his limbs slowly tore out their sockets. "Talk, you piece of vermin!" Rayden growled. "Who ordered it?"

"Stop! Please stop!" the captain begged. "I'll talk. The shaman Leiko and chief of the village just east of here begged the leader of the Yamato clan to send us up here to kill you and lift the curse that's on their village. They paid two hundred gold coins to have it done, claiming it was the will of the gods that you and your parents die."

"See, I told you he would talk," Rayden crowed. "How long have you been hunting us?"

"Three months," the captain replied. "Please…don't kill me. I have a wife and children."

"Then you shouldn't have taken the job," Rayden growled. "We were just fine up here by ourselves and weren't bothering anyone with no intention of ever bothering anyone. But they had to go and have our parents slaughtered. Now they've called down the thunder. I will kill until everyone who was in on this is dead…starting with you." In a second, Rayden ripped the captain into pieces, blood spewing all over him. The captain's head fell at Rayden's feet, a look a twisted pain and terror frozen in its features. Izanami backed away, horrified by his rising fury. "Ahhh," he hissed. "They will rue the day they attacked us. I will become the demon they so feared. There's no going back. We must fight or die. Come sister, we have a village to kill."

Izanami latched on to his arm and pleaded, "Rayden…please don't become lost in your rage. We only need kill those who were responsible. Not those who had nothing to do with it."

"Of course," Rayden said coldly. "Now let's descend upon the murderers with all our fury."

The scene faded away. Everyone stood speechless. Nyu had her eyes buried in Kohta's chest as he watched with numbed horror. It reminded him of the night Lucy killed his parents. He looked at Izanami and saw tears flowing. "So much pain," Kohta said softly. "No wonder your kind is so prone to violence. It's because of great heartache."

"That isn't the worst part," Izanami said softly, tears dripping from the universe within her eyes. "Now you will see why the Fury is warring with me." She waved her hand and the same village where she and Rayden were born reappeared. A perimeter of thirty warriors blocked Rayden and Izanami's path, swords and glaives drawn. Izanami carefully carried two bundles wrapped in bloody blankets.

"Where are the Chief and that shaman, Leiko?" Rayden roared. "Send them out that they may see the fruits of their labor and reap the whirlwind for their folly!"

The Chief and the shaman Leiko walked out, facing Rayden and Izanami. "Leave our village, demons!" the Chief demanded.

"You're in no position to demand anything, you gutless sack of entrails," Rayden hissed. "I want you and everyone here to see the fruits of your labor. This is what your precious leaders do to those they think are a threat, even if they aren't. Show them, sister."

Izanami stepped forward a couple of steps and knelt down, sitting the bloody blankets on the ground. She carefully unwrapped each of them, revealing the butchered remains of her parents to everyone. She looked up at them and sobbed, "Why did you do it? Why? We did nothing to you. Our parents did nothing to you. Why did you kill them like dogs and try to kill us? We had no intention of ever hurting any of you."

The men gasped at the slaughtered remains, horror pricking at their minds. The Chief and Shaman looked at it with disgust. "Don't believe them, my people," the Chief said. "They killed their own parents just like the demons they are. You're an abomination that should have been purged from this world twenty years ago. Now you have become the curse we feared."

Rayden's eyes blazed with burning hate. "We killed our parents you say? Then how do you explain this!" He tossed the head of the captain at their feet along with some coins. The Chief and Leiko jumped back in shock, recognizing the head. "He was the one you hired to do your bloody work," Rayden railed. "And I believe that is your cursed money. All you had to do is leave us alone. But no, you let your fear and hatred overrule your good sense. Why would you send assassins after us when we haven't been seen near this village since our births?" He turned his burning hatred on the shaman. "It's you who led these people astray with your talk of demons and curses, witch. Before today, I was a man gifted with a great and marvelous talent, just as my sister is. But now, I have become the curse you so feared. I am the demon you sought to destroy in my crib. I was taught well by my father, who lies here in pieces by your treachery. I know that neither the gods nor Fate looks well upon the treacherous. Look well, treacherous witch. By your hand, I have become the bloody demon hand of Fate who will punish the wicked for their crimes against my blood. Let me show you my gift, witch." A single vector shot from Rayden and penetrated into the shaman's brain, paralyzing her. Every voluntary muscle remained frozen except for her speech.

"I can look into your mind, witch, and see the treachery you have performed on us and many others, including the people of this village!" Rayden hissed. "Now speak and tell them the truth about our birth! Did the gods really tell you we were demons?"

"No," the shaman answered, her tone filled with terror.

"Did the gods tell you to kill us and our parents to lift the curse you said our existence put on this village?" Rayden demanded.

"No," she replied.

"There was no curse, was there?" Rayden declared.

"No," she said.

"Don't listen, my friends," the Chief shouted. "These demons are making our beloved Lieko say these lies!"

"SILENCE, you worm!" Rayden roared, knocking him senseless with a vector punch to his belly. "It is you who lie…you and this witch you pay to pleasure you!" The crowd gasped as Rayden turned back to Leiko, who remained under the control of his vector.

"And you manipulated these people to get your way, didn't you?" he asked, his rage boiling to the point of explosion.

"Yes," she answered. "I did. These people are lost without me, poor ignorant peasants I could control with my divinations."

"You mean with your lies and deceit," Rayden retorted. "I wonder how our lives would have been different had you never come to this village with your charlatan tricks!"

"Do you read the cards, bitch?" Izanami asked.

"Yes," the shaman stated.

"And what did the cards say about us?" Izanami queried. "And don't lie to us. My brother has a blood thirst on him that will consume you if you do."

"The cards said you are death incarnate," the shaman said. "That I would die at your hands, and then the world would perish in your rage. That's the truth."

"So Fate said you would die at our hand and you tried to alter it," Rayden growled. "As a shaman, you knew the penalty for making false predictions and trying to change Fate. Now it comes back to you ten-fold. All you had to do was leave us alone. You had nothing to fear from us. But you had to tempt Fate. Now she has judged you. Who else is responsible for this travesty?"

"The whole village," she replied as the Chief regained his composure.

"You're lying, bitch," Rayden hissed. "Tell me now and I might be merciful."

"Like I said, everyone was in on it," she insisted.

"Even the children?" Rayden asked.

"Yes," the shaman replied.

"That's it," Rayden growled. "Your lies stop here, witch." With a flick of his vector, she floated in the air and screamed as she slowly split in two from head to crotch. Blood gushed, soaking the warriors as her guts rained down on them just before her two halves crashed to the ground. The Chief and the warriors stared in horror as Rayden turned to the Chief. "I'm here to punish only the guilty and avenge our parent's murder. You ordered it. It's just the same as you striking the blow. I will search your mind and find out who else is responsible and kill them too."

"Ha," the Chief scorned, pulling his sword. "You will never know who is truly responsible for your tragedy until you look into the mirror. You are the inescapable result of your parent's sin." With that, the Chief fell on his sword, piercing his brain with it. He slumped dead on the ground as the warriors gasped in astonishment, not knowing what to do or who to believe.

"Damnation!" Rayden roared. "Now how will I find justice? I guess the only choice I have is to exterminate all of them." Izanami gasped as she felt his fury become a source of pure chaos, a dark entity unto itself. In the blink of an eye, Rayden slashed with his vectors and dismembered the thirty warriors in an explosion of blood and body parts. "I am the end of humanity!" he screamed in rage. "They deprived me of my humanity, now I deprive them of their lives! I am Fury!"

"No," Izanami cried, feeling her brother slipping away from her into the darkness. "You can't do this, Rayden! You promised!" she cried, grabbing onto his arm.

"Rayden is no more, sister," he growled, throwing her down on the ground, briefly stunning her. "I am Fury for what they did to us! Now they will pay for their arrogance and hate…all of them!"

Izanami shook her head as screams echoed in her ears. She rose and rushed into the village, seeing Rayden slaughtering all he encountered: men, women, children, animals. He also destroyed every house with cruel efficiency. "Rayden…in heaven's name, stop this madness!" she begged. "You can't become the monster they thought you were! That makes them right."

He turned and lashed out at Izanami, picking her up with a vector, slowly strangling her. "This is even worse than knowing who killed our parents!" he shrieked. "How can you side with them? None of them deserve to live after what they did!"

"But they didn't do anything!" Izanami choked. "They didn't kill our parents. We've punished the ones who did. The rest are innocent!"

"No one is innocent," Rayden hissed, completely insane with fury. "If they are human, then they are guilty. If you side with them, then you are guilty too of betraying our parents! Are you with them or me, Izanami? Choose now!"

"Please, Rayden," Izanami begged. "Don't make me do this! It isn't right! Mother and Father taught us better than that. Please, reign in your rage."

"I will not!" he shouted. "Every son and daughter will know my rage and hate when I take their parents from them! I will kill them all!"

"I can't allow you to do that, Rayden," Izanami replied, half-gurgling because of this strangulation of her. "Please forgive me, my brother. I must stop your madness." She loosed a single vector that crushed his heart. His eyes grew wide as his vector evaporated. She crashed to the ground as he coughed. Dropping to his knees, blood gushed from his mouth.

"I will hate you forever," he cursed before falling dead at her feet.

Izanami crawled over to him, cradling him in her arms. Her grief rose into a howl of anguish that brought out the remainder of the villagers. They surrounded her, giving her space. "Why? Why did you do it and leave me all alone? Why?" she shrieked, burying her face in his bloody chest and sobbing deeply for her lost brother. Suddenly, a strange glowing mist rose from his corpse and flowed into her. "What the…" she cried, feeling a suddenly surge in her fury and power. Within seconds, she knew everything he knew and felt his insane rage. She raised her head to the sky and screamed an unearthly scream that send every villager but one running: an old woman who watched at a distance until the scream subsided to bubbling sobs. She approached and put her arms around Izanami. Her presence calmed Izanami.

"Come on," she said softly. "We must get you away from here."

Izanami looked her in the eye and said, "I know your face. Somehow, I know you."

"I'm surprised you remembered me," the old woman said. "I used to visit your house long ago. But now is not the time for this. We must get you away from here. The villagers are not going to feel safe until you leave."

"I understand," Izanami said. "Let me gather what's left of my family." She picked up Rayden's body, followed by the slaughtered remains of her parents with her vectors. She cast one last look at the village. "I wish I'd never been born," she muttered gloomily. "That way I'd never know this sorrow."

"Sorrow is life," the old woman said. "Everyone has it and there's no escaping it. Fate is a cruel mistress. But she does sometimes work good in the midst of evil. I saw what you did. I don't know how you did it, but you did. You stopped your brother from turning this village into a cemetery. Those who saw it will not soon forget what you did for them."

"You're so kind," Izanami whimpered. "But now I have no place to go. I am an outcast among the outcasts. Where will I go? Who can I turn to?"

"The gods will provide for you, my child," the old woman said. "You must have faith and believe."

"It's hard to after everything that's happened," Izanami said as the old woman led her into the forest.

"I understand that better than you know," the old woman said. "Come with me. I have a place high in the hills where you can stay for a while."

"I'd like that," Izanami said. With that, the scene faded away again.

Lucy, Kaeda, Dark Lucy, and Kohta stared at Izanami in total shock, feeling an acute sense of extreme loss. Nyu cried on Kohta's shoulder, overwhelmed by the sorrow and violence of what they'd seen. "My god," Lucy breathed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "And I thought I had it bad. How did you ever survive that and not go crazy?"

Izanami waved her hand and they stood on a stone platform at the edge of the Fury. Three stone sarcophagi lay before them. She walked up and laid her hands on the closest stone coffin. "My life has been ruled by a deep truth my father taught me," she murmured. "He said love is stronger than any hate or rage. To truly be human, we must live with love and mercy, not with hate and blood. Any creature can exercise anger, hate, and violence without restraint. But only a true human can control those bestial feelings with love and mercy. It's a bitter lesson I learned the day I was forced to stop my brother from killing the innocent people of that village. I didn't know who they were, nor did I really care for them. But when I saw the insanity that possessed my brother and how he became the very thing they despised, I had to stop him. I lost my whole family that day: my mother, father, and brother. He never forgave me for stopping his rampage."

"The King of Furies is your brother, isn't it?" Kohta surmised. "I saw you absorb his essence when you killed him. That's why this place is in such chaos and why the diclonius have such a problem controlling their baser instincts. Isn't it?"

"Yes, Kohta," Izanami whispered. "When I absorbed his soul and fury, it became part of me and tried to destroy me from within. Once again, I was forced to fight my brother and I confined his rage here inside the Collective. But I am weary of the endless conflict. I've tried futilely to tame his rage, set the balance right, and get my brother back from the chaos that swallowed him."

"I saw when it happened," Kaeda said. "He snapped and a new life form came into being: one of pure chaos and destruction. I believe your brother still exists somewhere within the King of Furies. Did you not see that, Lucy?"

"I did," Lucy murmured softly. "God knows I sympathize with what he endured at the hands of those idiots. But that was still no reason to destroy everything."

Kohta stood there, thinking deeply about what he saw while holding Nyu.

Dark Lucy looked at Kohta, seeing his caring attention to Nyu and his thoughtful expression. She turned her gaze to Izanami. "I saw it too," Dark Lucy growled. "And since I am a spawn of that darkness, I can tell you that I feel your brother's rage at how the humans have treated us over the centuries." She pointed at the boiling cauldron of the Fury just a hundred yards away and declared, "Every time a diclonius dies at the hands of a human, their fury and rage goes there, adding to his. But Kaeda has a point. Something has shifted within the Fury and I can sense two distinct entities emerging: Izanami's brother and the foul loathsome creature that snared him that fateful day. It is definitely not human and I'd go as far as to say, it's not of this universe. It may be a real demon. But I don't know. What I do know is that since this shit has come to a head, I can feel Rayden fighting against this thing. I'm all for killing the foul shits who mistreated our kind. But I've come to realize, seeing Kohta and Nyu standing there, that life is worth fighting for." She turned to Lucy and said, "Let's take this shit down and fix this mess so I can get back to what I do best: punishing the guilty. What do you say, Lucy?"

"So you are turning your back on the Fury?" Kaeda asked.

"It depends on whose fury you're talking about," Dark Lucy replied coldly. "If you're talking about Rayden's fury and thirst for justice and vengeance…not a chance. But if you're talking about that fiend who poisoned him and has been controlling him since Izanami took him out, then fuck yes. That fiend wants nothing less than the extinction of all life. I say let's make him extinct."

Kohta cracked a slight smile at the notion. "That is a noble sentiment coming from you," Kohta said to Dark Lucy. He stepped away from Nyu and stood in front of Dark Lucy. "Have I been able to show you life really is worth saving?"

Dark Lucy grinned wickedly. "You forget your place, Kohta. I am Lucy's rage and fury. I will destroy anyone who fucks with and hurts her. Should you do that, your ass is mine."

"Only if I say it is," Lucy growled. "Remember, you do what I say."

"Of course, Lucy," Dark Lucy said with a toothy smile. "I have not forgotten where I fit in." She patted Kohta on the cheek, adding, "Just keep going like you are and we'll be just fine. I'm willing to entertain the idea that not everyone needs to die now since I have sensed this split inside the Fury."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kohta told her. He then walked over to Izanami and touched her on the shoulder. "Your brother has been the root of this insanity from the beginning. If what Kaeda and Lucy's alter ego say is true, then we may have an opportunity to purge this madness forever and get him back. Is that why you have done this for us?"

"Yes," Izanami whispered. "I and my brother were the first of our kind. I am weary of the endless battles and blood. With every diclonius that dies in fury, he gets their power and essence and I do not. That is why he's in the position he's in now. And Kaeda and Lucy's Fury is right. I can feel the separation of the chaos from my brother. He's beginning to rise up against the monster that possessed him that black day." She suddenly straightened up with a look of fierce resolve. "He's crying out to me for deliverance. Now is the time we must act to save him from the evil that has poisoned our kind from the beginning."

Kohta abruptly embraced Izanami. Her eyes grew wide with surprise, and then she hesitantly put her arms around him. "We are family," Kohta declared. "It's time we started acting like it. You have my love as your son, Izanami. And I'm sure you have Lucy's love too."

Nyu rushed in and wrapped her arms around Izanami. "Nyu love you too. Nyu love you too."

Kaeda whispered to Lucy, "It's okay, Lucy. No one is going to make fun of you." She went Izanami and added to the group hug.

Lucy looked at Dark Lucy with some confusion. "Shit," Dark Lucy cursed. "Just when I think I have Kohta figured out, he goes and does that."

Lucy broke out laughing. "And that's one of the reasons I love him: the unique way he has of expressing his love. Come on, you. Let's go. Izanami is our true mother and she needs us."

Dark Lucy sighed. "Very well…just don't expect me to enjoy it that much."

"Come on, you two," Kohta called out. "Izanami need our strength. She's done so much for us. It's time we returned the favor. It's not weakness to show love."

Lucy and Dark Lucy added their touch to Izanami and she gasped, feeling a complete circuit of power flowing from them into her and back out into them. Tears filled her eyes and she cried. "My children, my precious children," she sobbed. "I can feel your love and strength filling me. Now we can end this madness." She kissed each of them on the head before pushing them away. Looking Kohta in the eye, she said, "Of all the people and beings on this planet, Lucy chose you. Now I see why. You are our salvation, Kohta: the bridge that will bring peace to our worlds. Now go, and love Lucy and all her pieces. When the time comes to face the King of Furies, I will be there to stand with you."

Izanami turned to Lucy and said, "My precious daughter…you are my gatekeeper and ruler of the diclonius universe. Your will is law now and no one may come to me except through you." She waved her hand and the platform rumbled. A huge magnificent sword appeared stuck in the stone between two of the sarcophagi. "Lucy, my daughter, here is your power sitting between the resting place of my father and mother. This is the sword of my power and of my mother and father's power. Within this blade is the power of the entire diclonius race. You grasped it once before and saved your friends. This is your birthright. Next time you grasp this blade, it is yours to keep. Wield it in righteousness and justice, remembering the pain and sorrows of our kind, but tempering your fury with love and mercy. Only pull it when you need it for it has the power to save the world, or destroy it." She kissed Lucy on the forehead and said, "It's time for you to wake, my child, and remember who you are. Merge your pieces and save my brother and us from our own horrible fates. Stop the madness. One last warning: watch the hybrid Bandoh. He's very dangerous and has a darkness within him that is comparable to the chaos that took my brother. Don't let him kill the King of Furies. If he does, he will become a plague no one can stop. Now go. I will be waiting to help you at the proper time."

Izanami waved her hand. Kohta and Lucy gasped as the gray world inside the Collective vanished into the darkness.

Kohta jerked violently, falling out of his chair beside Lucy's bed. He shook his head, remembering everything that had happened. "Oh thank Izanami you're okay," Akira's voice called out. Kohta felt a strong hand lift and set him in his chair. He rubbed his eyes and saw Akira looking at him with a very relieved look.

"What time is it?" Kohta asked. "How long was I gone?"

"It's only been a couple of minutes since you were drawn into the Collective," Akira said. "I am astounded that you survived it."

"Just a couple of minutes?" Kohta asked. "Damn…I could have sworn we were in there for weeks….Lucy, did she get out?"

A moan rose from Lucy as her head moved from side to side. "Kohta," she murmured, cracking her eyes open.

Kohta grabbed her hand and hovered over her. "I'm here, Lucy. Are you all right?"

A knowing smile crossed her lips. "Yes, and you?"

"I think so," he replied. "I feel strangely empowered somehow."

"I know what you mean," she said as Akira touched her on the leg.

"How are you doing, Lucy?" he asked. "I was concerned you never leave the Collective."

She smiled at Akira. "I know what it means now," she said. "And I know who I am now."

"Know what means?" Akira queried.

"The Fury," she answered icily. "We saw how it began and what must be done to stop it."

Akira's eyes grew wide. "Upon my word, Izanami showed you the root of our plight?"

"Yes," Kohta said grimly. "This King of Furies is none other than Izanami's twin brother, whom she had to kill to keep him from slaughtering a village of innocent people in his grief-stricken madness over the killing of their parents."

"Dear god," Akira breathed. "So that's why we are driven by this madness."

"It's worse than that," Lucy murmured. "Apparently when her brother snapped, he became possessed of some kind of demon: a thing of pure chaos that seeks to destroy all life. Now that he's become strong enough to break out of the Collective, the thing that took Izanami's brother is starting to separate from him. My fury can feel a duality within the fiend. One is the demon who has poisoned us from the beginning and the other is Izanami's brother, who is starting to struggle against this thing. Our task has become clear. To solve this problem, we must separate Izanami's brother from this chaos demon and send it back to hell."

A broad smile crossed Akira's face. "Oh wonder of wonders!" he cried with delight. "You finally know and accept who you are and what we must do. Izanami be praised! But what about your pieces? I can still sense your fragmented mind."

"Don't you worry about that, Akira," Lucy replied. "As you said, Kohta is my salvation. He knows what to do to fix that. Now where is Jin? He has something I need."

"Jin is under guard," Akira said bluntly. "Since he woke from the ambush, this amplified Fury has him teetering on the edge. He tried to kill several people so he's locked in the brig."

Lucy's eyes danced with dangerous fire. "I warned him not to let that Fury get loose again. Take me to him." Kohta helped her sit up.

"Are you strong enough to do this?" Kohta asked.

"I'll be fine," Lucy growled. "Just take me to him. I can sense him slipping away. We must get to him before he does something incredibly stupid."

"Very well," Akira said. "Follow me." Kohta helped Lucy up and they followed Akira out, heading toward the brig.

A/N: A light flickers in the darkness spread by Yoshitora and the King of Furies. Mayu, prisoner of the King, sees the start of a growing resistance to the King of Fury's insane ambition to destroy the world. Moreover, Kohta and Lucy are pulled into the Collective by Izanami and find out the terrible truth about the Diclonius Fury: the King of Furies is Izanami's twin brother, Rayden, corrupted by a dark being that used his grief to take control of the emergent diclonius race. However, Izanami's power kept him check until he escaped from the Collective where she imprisoned him. Now that he's free, Izanami, Lucy, and Kohta discover that Rayden is starting to fight back against the dark fiend who possessed him. Lucy also finds out how to merge her fragmented personality and what she and Kohta need to do to stop the madness. But this is still anyone's fight. Will Lucy, Kohta, Izanami, and her friends succeed and save Rayden from the demon possessing him or will the King of Furies destroy them and the world in a hurricane of blood and fire? Will Kohta and Lucy rescue Mayu and will Bandoh prove to be their undoing? Keep reading to find out as the world holds their breath to see who stands atop the corpses. As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	24. Chapter 24 Endgame

Chapter 24

Endgame

The King of Furies looked out of Yoshitora's eyes, scanning the coast of Kamakura from the Institute's roof. Smoke rose from numerous fires all over the city. He could feel his minions roaming the city, destroying any who dared cross their path. A wicked smile plastered his face. "Everything is going as I have foreseen. It's time to move into the endgame." He turned to the ocean and closed his eyes, summoning all his dark energy. Clenching his fists, he growled, "The time of man is over. Now comes the Day of the Diclonius. Arise, my brothers and sisters around the world and kill until every human is dead. This is the will of Fury. This is the will of the Collective. Go and let every living thing feel our rage and hate. Let the human world drown in its own blood. Let them all DIE!" He looked to the sky, roaring the last words, sending out a raging pulse of Fury that spread like a nuclear blast, covering the world in minutes. "Bring me the connector, Jin Ryu Osabi," he added, focusing specifically on Jin. "And kill everyone who stands in our way. Do it now, Jin, or die as traitor to your species." An evil smile crossed the King's face as he scanned the ocean horizon. "That should do it. That should spur the Queen into action. I will have her piece and rip out Izanami's heart with it."

A moan rose from Nana as she lay in a bed in the Chimera infirmary. Her head slowly shifted from side to side. In a second, she snapped awake, screaming, "Mayu!"

Myra came running, seeing Nana looking around wildly in a panic, flailing her stumps. "Nana…calm down," Myra pleaded. "Your wounds aren't healed yet." She and the nurses gently restrained Nana.

When she saw Myra's face, Nana broke into sobs, ceasing to struggle. "That's it," Myra cooed, holding and rocking her gently. "You're safe. No one is going to hurt you."

"Where's Mayu?" Nana whimpered once she calmed down.

Myra hesitated to say anything, a worried look on her face. "Where's Mayu?" Nana pleaded. "I have to know what happened to her. Please don't tell me she's dead."

"She's not dead," a gruff voice called out. "But she has been taken to the King."

"You shouldn't be in here, sir," the head nurse warned as Myra and Nana saw the mutated Bandoh standing just inside the door and out of the way.

He glared at the nurse as a sinister smile crossed his lips. "Oh come now," he growled. "I'm not hurting anyone just standing here. I just came to see my little friend there. We have some history together."

"What do you want here, Bandoh?" Myra asked bluntly. "Nana is still recovering."

Nana saw Bandoh's face and her complexion turned ashen. Her eyes bulged as fear raced through her mind while she relived that nightmare in the kitchen where Bandoh tried to kill her. "No," she whined. "It can't be. You're dead!"

Bandoh's smile grew more menacing as he chuckled. "Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."

"Keep him away from me!" Nana begged, terror clawing her mind. "Stay away, you monster!"

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" Bandoh asked between chuckles.

"You're no friend of mine!" Nana retorted. "You tried to kill me and my friends!"

"No arguments there, little lady," Bandoh replied, his face turning serious. "This bitch here can vouch for that," he added, pointing to Myra.

"My name is Myra," Myra hissed, holding Nana in a protective manner. "And yes, I was there when you launched your own personal war on these innocent kids. Haven't you traumatized them enough?"

Bandoh walked closer and the nurses barred his progress. They glared at him. "You are not welcome in this infirmary," the head nurse stated coldly. "Please leave."

"Not before I finish what I came here to do," Bandoh replied frigidly. "Now stand aside or else."

"Your threats mean nothing here," the head nurse retorted as she removed her cap, revealing her diclonius horns. "You've done more than enough. Now leave!"

Bandoh frowned at her, and then sighed, backing off a step. His face took on more of a contrite look. "Have it your way," he hissed. "All I wanted to do was speak to Nana: nothing more."

Nana noticed a hint of sadness in both his look and tone. Pity rose in her. As he started walking out, she called out, "Wait, what did you want to say to me?"

He paused, looking over his shoulder. "I wanted to say I'm sorry for attacking you and your family. A rage possessed me that I didn't understand until now. I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you. As a way to settle my debt, I saved the boy, Kohta, from the rogues when they ambushed your convoy. However, I was unable to stop them from escaping with Mayu." He turned his back to her and clenched his fists. "I just wasn't fast enough to catch the pricks. They mean to use her as bait to lure Lucy and Kohta to their doom…the fucking bastards. So I'm going after her. I have unfinished business with her and the stupid fuck that's holding her. I made her a promise and now it's time for me to pay up." He turned back to Nana and Myra, his cyborg eyes flashing crimson with bloody rage. "If I can, I will bring her back in one piece, alive. But that fucking Sixty-six is so dead. I just wanted you to know that before I go off to what may very well be my second death. Goodbye, Nana." With that, Bandoh stormed out of the infirmary.

"Well I'll be damned," Myra cursed. "I think he just apologized and said goodbye to you, Nana. I didn't think he'd ever do something like that."

Nana shook her head. "I don't know, Myra. Something is not right with him. That is the same maniac who tried to kill us at Kaeda House, isn't it?"

"Yes," Myra replied as the nurses returned to their duties. "From what I understand, after Kohta killed him, Kakuzawa got hold of his remains and used them in some kind of experiment that was trying to turn a human into a diclonius by surgical means. He raised that freak from the dead doing it."

Nana's eyes grew wide. "Oh my god," she whimpered. "He's the Lazarus the Director was always talking about when I was at the Institute. He really did it. Myra, you must not turn your back on him. He is violently unstable. I'm just a simple silpelit, but I can sense a rage on him that is darker than the fury that we have. He cannot be trusted."

"We already know that," Myra replied. "Bandoh is being watched very carefully while he's on this ship. The only reason he's here is because he knows how to get back into the Institute to get Mayu. Lucy has warned him not to fuck with us or she'd kill him herself."

"I'm glad to hear that," Nana said with a sigh of relief. Her eyes suddenly grew wide and a gasp escaped her lips. "Oh no, the Fury is loose and killing on this ship! It's coming this way!"

No sooner than she had spoken, the alarm sounded and the voice of Captain Fargo blared over the intercom. "All hands, security alert! Jin Osabi has escaped from the brig and killed several people doing it. He's succumbed to the Fury. I need the strongest diclonius we have to restrain him before he reaches a critical area and sinks us. He was last spotted heading toward the infirmary! Lethal force is authorized, but only as a last resort. Capture and restrain him, if possible. Captain out!"

Blood-curdling screams echoed from outside the infirmary along with the sound of rending flesh and screeching metal. A nurse darted into Nana's little cubical. "It's Jin! He's…urk," she shouted just before choking and splitting in two vertically in an explosion of blood, her guts spilling on the floor with her two halves.

The head nurse took up a defensive position between Myra and Nana and the door. "I'll do what I can to stop him," she said as Myra clutched Nana closely.

A menacing laugh echoed from the corridor. "How do you expect to save them when you can't save yourself, bitch!" Jin's icy voice called out. In a blink, the head nurse exploded into dozens of gory chunks that rained on Myra and Nana.

"Oh god no," Nana cried in horror. "Not again!"

Jin stepped into view, his body dripping with the blood of his kills. "Yes, again," Jin crowed. "You turned your back on us, thinking you could live with humans. You're no better than they are."

"Jin," Myra cried out. "You must fight the Fury. Fight it! This is not you! This is not the Jin who saved us from the burning hell of Kaeda house."

"You're right, Myra," Jin cackled. "I'm not the Jin who saved you. I'm the Jin who should have left you to burn. Now I remedy a mistake I made long ago. Give my regards to oblivion."

In a fit of desperation, Nana shot out one vector, aiming at Jin's pineal gland. His vectors instantly caught and severed it from her. She screamed in agony. His wicked smile became even more sinister. "Didn't think you could lose your vectors like that, did you Nana? Hurts doesn't it. It's like losing an arm or leg…something I know you are quite familiar with. I have an idea. Why don't I let you watch while I pull off Myra's limbs one at a time, leaving her head for last. What do you think about that?"

"No, please don't!" Nana whimpered.

"Yes, oh yes I will!" Jin crowed with insane delight.

Myra pulled the pistol in her pocket and Jin shattered it before she could draw a bead on him. "Tisk, tisk tisk, Myra. Don't you realize you're powerless against the King and me? Now die for interfering in our business!" Jin snarled. His vectors flooded out and violently separated Myra from Nana. Nana fell off her bed, hitting her head against the wall as Myra floated in the air, Jin's vectors wrapped around her like snakes. Her face twisted in a mix of rage and pain. "Now what to do with you," he murmured icily. "What to do. I know just what to do with arrogant do-gooders like you." He squeezed his vector cocoon, making her ribs crackle while slowly tearing her left arm off at the shoulder. Myra screamed in agonizing pain as she felt her ribs crushing and the muscles and ligaments of her arm slowly pulling apart. Blood gushed from her mouth and shoulder when Jin ripped her arm off by the roots. Darkness swallowed Myra when she passed out from the pain.

As the arm dropped to the floor with a sickening plop, a menacing voice spoke from behind Jin, catching him by surprise. "You just made one huge fucking mistake by doing that, you shit!" Before Jin could turn around, an invisible force sliced him in two at the waist. Blood splashed everywhere as Jin's vectors evaporated and his two halves fell to the deck. A fountain of blood spewed from Jin's mouth while Bandoh stepped into the open. Bandoh gazed down at Jin's upper half with a grim, icy look. "You should have stayed in your cell. Now you're dead like those people you just butchered."

Akira, Lucy, Kohta, Fargo, Sen, and Guildo flooded into the infirmary, seeing Bandoh standing over the dying body of Jin. Sen's eyes grew wide and hate filled her heart. "You fucking bastard, you didn't have to cut my dad in half!" She charged Bandoh, her vectors springing out like ambushing spiders. He saw the attack and punched her pineal gland with one vector while catching her by the neck with the other. His red eyes burned with rage as she floated in the air, choking in his stranglehold.

Lucy saw it and struck his pineal gland with a lightning fast vector. "That's enough of that, you shit!" she cursed as Sen came crashing to the floor after Bandoh's vectors vanished. He staggered from the punch, glaring at Lucy for attacking him.

"You're going to regret that, bitch," he hissed. "I was just defending myself."

"No you weren't," Lucy retorted. "You were strangling her. You were overreacting like you did with Jin. She's right. You didn't need to cut him in two."

"We'll discuss this later, Lucy," he snarled coldly. Bandoh turned his cold warrior eye to Sen, saying frigidly, "Your pappy was gone when I got here. The fiend I'm after took him long before I encountered him. Had I not did what I did, Nana and Myra would be dead. Old man, if you have any medical expertise at all, you'd better get to work on Myra right now. He was tearing her apart one piece at a time when I got here."

"Good lord," Akira breathed, rushing to Myra and immediately going to work on her with his vectors. Guildo followed to help, first checking on Nana and laying her back on the bed.

"But you," Sen wheezed in grief-stricken rage, still gasping from the strangulation.

"I did what had to be done," Bandoh growled. "It's time to stop living in the fantasy world you have set up around you, girl. This is the cold fucking reality of what faces us. Deal with it. If we don't stop Sixty-six, Yoshitora, or whoever this fucking King is, then we're all going to end up like this."

Kohta stood there, his mouth hanging open in disbelief at the bloody scene. Flashbacks of Lucy killing his family rose in Kohta's mind, followed by what happened at Byodoin Temple. A gurgling cough rose from Jin, getting their attention and snapping Kohta out of his hellish flashbacks. He saw Sen in grief-stricken rage and put his arms around her, gently holding her back and helping her cope.

Fargo covered Bandoh with a drawn pistol while Lucy slugged him with her clenched fist. "You arrogant prick," she snarled. "You didn't have to be so heavy-handed. Now I may never get what I need from him."

"You're one to talk, bitch," Bandoh retorted venomously. "I did what was necessary. I saved all our lives. The Fury had consumed him. He was not stopping until all of us were dead. You would've done the same."

"Like hell I would have," Lucy growled. "All you needed to do was punch his pineal gland and he would have been rendered harmless. But no, you had to use an axe when a scalpel was needed."

"How do you know that?" Kohta demanded, restraining Sen.

"Because that's what I would have done if I were him," Bandoh retorted.

"You evil son of a…" Sen cursed as Jin's voice rose over the argument.

"Lucy," Jin croaked, his guts hanging out on the floor, blood flowing everywhere.

Lucy squatted down next to him and glared at him. "Why didn't you keep your guard up, Jin? I warned you not to let it in. Now look what you've done."

"I'm…sorry, Lucy," he gurgled. "I couldn't…stop them…not strong enough. They came for your piece." He coughed, spewing blood. "Forgive…me," he whispered. "Please, my queen, kill me before they take your piece from me. Do it, before…it's too late."

Pity rose in Lucy over Jin's agonizing lingering death. "Okay Jin," Lucy murmured. "I release you from your pain. Go to Izanami and be at peace." She released two vectors and plunged one into his brain and the other into his heart, first killing his pain and brain before crushing his heart. A gasp escaped his lips, followed by a peaceful look as bloody death closed his eyes. Tears rose in Lucy's eyes as she closed Jin's eyes for the last time with her hand. A strange glowing mist rose from his body, flowing into Lucy. When Kohta saw this, he let go of Sen and embraced Lucy from behind, remembering how his touch helped her dispel the Fury.

Sen fell to her knees and sobbed like a little girl. "I never got to say I was sorry!" she bawled. Bandoh looked at her with cold indifference. Fargo sighed and holstered his weapon, going to Sen. He knelt down and put a fatherly arm around her. "I'm sure he knew you loved him," Fargo cooed.

When Lucy fully absorbed the glowing mist, she cringed in pain and let loose a cry that echoed throughout the Chimera. Within her, she felt the piece Izanami gave Jin click into place followed by his individual piece. Tears of rage and grief dripped on Jin's dead face. She clenched her fists until her nails drew blood from her palms. "Are you all right, Lucy?" Kohta asked softly in her ear.

"No, I'm not," she hissed. "This cannot go on. I can't keep doing this. I know that his last rampage wasn't his fault. The King is responsible for this." She laid her hand on Jin's bloody forehead and swore, "I swear he will pay for this. We're going to find that shit and make him stop this madness. We're going to send that demon back to the hell it came from. This I swear by the blood of this man." She looked at Sen and said, "Today we stand as sisters, Sen. We will make this King pay for all the blood and death he's caused and your father will be avenged."

"Yes," Sen shouted in her grief. "Let us go to the Institute and end this insanity forever. I'm with you to the very end, Lucy."

"Lucy," Akira called out. "Do you think you could lend a hand here and help us save Myra's life?"

Lucy rose and walked over to where Akira and Guildo were working on Myra. Kohta followed and Bandoh watched with some curiosity. "What's the problem?" she asked.

"Myra's lost a lot of blood," Akira said. "We've managed to stop the external bleeding, but the internal damage is very extensive. Jin crushed every rib and damaged her organs severely. She's bleeding internally and I'm not sure I can do anything to stop it." He sighed deeply, very troubled by his inability to prevent Myra's downward slide. "I just don't know what to do."

"Is she worth saving?" Bandoh called out coldly. "We have a triage event here. Our attention must be to the living, not to those who are going to die regardless of what we do."

Lucy cast an icy glare at Bandoh. "You son of a bitch," she snarled. "You tried to save her and now you want her to die? What kind of shit is that? She's my friend and friends are worth saving in this black world. The thing is I don't know exactly what to do here."

Izanami pricked Kohta's mind and he said, "Your blood saved me, Lucy. It healed my wounds at your order. Why not give her a small part of your blood and order it to save her? I'm sure it will work like it did for me."

"So you're going to make another crossbreed," Bandoh hissed. "That's just great."

Lucy loosed a vector and slapped Bandoh viciously with it. "Shut the fuck up. You've done quite enough already, you stupid shit." Bandoh growled, rubbing his face from the stinging hit. "Okay, Kohta," she said, "It's worth a try. Besides, Izanami just showed me something that should do the trick. Stand back."

Akira and Guildo stood back as Lucy knelt down beside Myra and released ten vectors at once, which plunged into Myra's body, including a strange-looking translucent vector. It appeared to come out of her heart and reached over, plunging into Myra's heart. Sweat beaded on Lucy's brow as she concentrated. Her regular vectors swarmed through Myra's body, repairing the damage while the translucent vector turned crimson starting from Lucy's heart, flowing down through the vector into Myra's heart.

Akira's eyes grew wide. "Oh my," he murmured. "She's transferring her blood through a vector. It never occurred to me that we could do that."

"Shhh," Kohta hissed. "Don't break her concentration."

For sixty seconds, Lucy moved her blood through the vector directly into Myra's heart, using the vector to assist her damaged heart in pumping the blood through her body. When she finished, the heart vector retracted with the others and she placed her hand on Myra's chest. "Okay blood, get to work, and heal my friend's wounds. Make her sound and strong so she may live."

Lucy's blood answered her call, matching up to Myra's blood type and immediately began repairing the internal damage Myra suffered. The internal bleeding ceased and her body reabsorbed the lost internal blood. Lucy sat there for five minutes with her hands on Myra's chest, her eyes blazing with intensity. Myra moaned and cracked her eyes open, seeing Lucy kneeling down with her hands on her chest. A relieved smile crossed Lucy's face. "What happened? Am I alive?" Myra whispered. "The last thing I remember is Jin tearing me apart."

"You're lucky to be alive," Akira said softly. "Bandoh cut Jin in two to stop him from killing you and Nana."

"Nana! Where's Nana?" Myra cried weakly, dull pain throbbing from her shoulder and ribs.

"Nana is okay," Guildo said. "But she took a nasty bump on the head when Jin attacked you."

Myra suddenly saw her arm lying on the floor a few feet away. Her head snapped to her left shoulder and she gasped. "This can't be!" she moaned. "Why am I not dead? Having an arm ripped off is a lethal injury. I should have bled to death in minutes."

"Under normal circumstances, yes," Lucy said. "But these aren't normal circumstances. Akira and Guildo dressed your wounds to keep you from bleeding to death and I gave you some of my blood to help your body jumpstart the healing process."

Myra's eyes grew round. "You did that for me?" she asked. "Wait, am I going to mutate like Kohta?"

"No," Lucy said. "I only gave you a small transfusion, just enough to stabilize your condition but not enough to cause you to fully mutate. You will need to get more transfusions to get back to full strength. I ordered my blood to heal your injuries and make you strong so you wouldn't die. I think the most that will happen to you is that you gain may some of our diclonius healing ability. But you should not get vectors and become like Kohta."

"So I will remain human," Myra whispered.

Lucy nodded. "On the outside, yes, but you'll never be a pure human again. It's the price for using my blood to save you. Do you regret this?"

"Not at all," Myra murmured, feeling her strength rise. "Thank you for saving me." A soft laugh rose from her. "I would've never guessed how drastically my world would change that night I came to Kaeda house to treat your gunshot wounds. I saved your life, now you save mine. I guess that makes us square, doesn't it?"

Lucy smiled and patted Myra on the leg. "I guess it does. But I am glad I have you as a friend. Like Kohta and Mayu, you have shown me that there are humans who are worth saving."

"I'm glad," Myra whispered, feeling very woozy as Lucy's blood moved through her body. "Can I ask why I'm not in agonizing pain? I should be unconscious."

"I unhooked the major pain receptors in your brain when I started treating you," Akira explained. "It's standard procedure for me when I tackle such cases of heavy trauma. When you are healed, we will reconnect them. It's just a way to let the body rest so it can start the healing process."

"Thank you," Myra murmured, becoming sleepy. "Can I see Nana, just to be sure?"

Guildo picked up Nana and knelt down next to Myra with Nana in his arms. She remained unconscious, but alive. Myra reached over with her right hand and touched Nana's right arm stump. When she saw Nana breathing normally, a smile crossed her face. Myra then promptly passed out, her hand dropping limply to the floor.

Akira looked at Lucy and said, "Thank you for saving her, Lucy."

Lucy nodded and stood with Kohta. She turned to see Sen cradling her father's upper half. Walking to them, she looked down. "I hope you don't hate me for what I did," Lucy said to Sen.

Sen looked up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "No, Lucy. I don't hate you," she murmured. "My hate goes to the one who caused his insanity. His days are numbered as of now."

"That they are," Lucy agreed. She turned to Bandoh and growled, "You'd better be damned careful, Bandoh. The darkness and rage in you is blacker than the King of Furies. If I ever see that black rage on this ship again, I'll kill you myself. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am," he barked sarcastically, flashing a formal salute with his middle finger.

Kohta saw it and slugged Bandoh in the jaw with a vector. "She means it, Bandoh. She's not going to tolerate it and neither am I. Mayu is depending on us to get her out of there. Your job is to lead us to her so we can get her out of there and that's it."

Bandoh rubbed his jaw with his hand, impressed with the hit. "Nice one, Kohta. You're learning to tap that new strength and rage of yours. Good. You're going to need it when we go after the King."

Lucy walked up to him, standing nose to nose. "Let's get one thing straight here, Bandoh. You aren't to lay a finger or vector on the King. His ass is mine and so will yours if you don't do what the fuck I tell you. Your darkness and rage will draw him to you and there's no chance in hell that you can take him down by yourself. You get into a fight with the King by yourself and he'll absorb your rage and darkness and possess you the same way he's possessing Sixty-six. I'll tear you apart before he can do that. We stand on the cliff's edge. Don't push us off by doing something supremely stupid. I know you're not stupid or am I just being stupid myself for believing you have a brain in that thick melon on top of your neck?"

Bandoh's expression soured greatly. "You stuck up little bitch," he hissed. "How dare you talk to me like that!"

Lucy and Kohta snapped simultaneously. Kohta loosed two vectors that snared Bandoh while Lucy lashed out with two vectors, one punching him in the belly, briefly winding him while the second choked him. "She will speak to you any way she sees fit," Kohta hissed venomously. "You are here by her good graces. She is the Queen of the Diclonius Universe. You do as she tells you or you're dead!"

Kohta's anger and rant surprised Lucy. She cast a wry smile at him before turning a deadly serious expression to Bandoh. "Kohta is right," she growled at Bandoh. "I'm in charge here. This is my fight. If you challenge me again, I will rip you apart without thinking. We're too close to resolving this to have you go and fuck it up. You're a dangerously imbalanced hybrid created by the very thing we're going up against, Bandoh. That's why I want you to do as you're told. Your claim will be avenged by me and me alone. I'm the only one who can do it. You have a promise to keep to Mayu. Keep your promise and let Kohta me and handle the King. He will die for the evil he's perpetrated over the last 1700 years. That's a promise. Now are you going to follow orders like the good soldier I know you are or are you a bad dog that needs to be put down? Well?" Lucy relaxed her vector chokehold on Bandoh so he could speak.

He gasped, catching his breath, looking at Kohta and Lucy with great hate. "All right," he growled, knowing he was bested again. "I'll do as you order. But mark my words. Once Mayu is free and safe, we will have words again for this."

Lucy allowed Dark Lucy to rise to the surface. "I look forward to it, you worthless piece of shit," Dark Lucy hissed. "Now I have someone I can have some fun with afterwards." Bandoh saw and recognized his old nemesis.

"You," he growled as Lucy reigned back Dark Lucy. When he saw Lucy's demeanor change back, he became confused. "What the hell?"

"You have no idea who you are fucking with, Bandoh," Kohta declared.

"You recognized my dark half, didn't you, Bandoh?" Lucy said icily. "It's because of the King and men like you that I have to fight her constantly. If she had her way, you'd die right now. But we need you. When we go to the Institute, you go after Mayu and get her to safety. If I see you anywhere near the King, I'll let her loose and you will die. Do you hear the words coming out of my mouth, Bandoh? You made us a promise: to get Mayu back alive and then to leave us alone forever. I hold you to your word. Now who's in charge here?"

"You are," Bandoh hissed, realizing he was trapped by his promise. "When we're done with this, I hope to never see your face again, ever."

"Good," Lucy said coldly. "Kohta, let him go." Kohta retracted his vectors, releasing Bandoh. "Captain Fargo," Lucy said authoritatively. "After what has happened, I think it would be wise for everyone to stay in their quarters who isn't essential to running this ship, especially the lower level diclonius who are more susceptible to the Fury. It's only going to get worse the closer we get to the Institute."

"I agree," Fargo replied wholeheartedly. "If the Fury can take control of a man like Jin, who most of us considered a legend, then it can take over anyone. What do you think, Captain Guildo?"

"No arguments here," Guildo answered. "I would even go as far as to confine Bandoh until we get to the Institute. He's much more dangerous than I believed."

Bandoh frowned at the remark.

"Right," Fargo said. "What about you, Master Akira? Is this a prudent action?"

"Absolutely," Akira answered. "This is a very dangerous situation. I'm grieved that my prodigy had to meet his end under such terrible circumstances. But like you said, if he can be corrupted, any of us can. But before we forget, we have wounded to tend to. Myra and Nana need to be taken out of this hell and into a more stable environment. Dr. Ravenclaw needs to get to work on Myra. I think between us, we can reattach Myra's arm and get it to function."

"So be it," Fargo said. "Do you want to help clean up and bury your father, Sen?"

"If you would, sir," Sen answered numbly, the cold reality of her father's demise settling in. "It's the least I can do for him."

"Very well," Fargo answered, going to the intercom. He flipped a switch and said, "Sick Bay to Bridge, is the ship secure now, Chris?"

Phillip Zubriar's voice came back through the speaker. "Yes, Captain, the ship is secure. The rampage did no serious damage to the ship, but we did loose ten crewmembers. We also had to confine five diclonius to their quarters because they became infected with the same rage that took Jin. Dr. Ravenclaw and Dr. Le sedated and used the neural scramblers on them to keep them under control. Did you stop Jin?"

"Unfortunately, we had to kill him," Fargo answered. "Apparently, he was specifically targeted by the Fury because he carried something very important that belonged to the Queen. But she was able to retrieve it before he died. However, we've lost a powerful ally and friend to this tragedy."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Phillip said. "He was a good friend."

"Captain," Chris called through the intercom. "We need you, Captain Guildo, Lucy, and Mr. Kohta in the ready room right now. There's something you need to see."

"We're on our way," Fargo replied. "Order General Quarters, code 87, Chris. Anyone who isn't essential to the operation of the ship needs to stay in their quarters because of the Fury. Do you understand? Send Drs. Le and Ravenclaw out with a security team to clean up the casualties, starting here in the Sick Bay. Myra and Nana were badly injured in Jin's rampage. Have him move them and Suko, Yuka, and Aiko to the secured wing of the Sick Bay. I want guards posted around them and on every level. Anyone caught out of their quarters without authorization will be arrested and confined in the brig. Also, I want the officers and the royals in my ready room by time I get there. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," Chris said. Seconds later, the alarms wailed again and the lights flashed as Chris's voice came over the loudspeakers. "All hands, General Quarters, code 87. All non-essential personnel are ordered to remain in their quarters until further notice. Any non-essential personnel found out of their quarters will be detained in the brig by order of the Captain. All officers and royals report to the Captain's ready room in five minutes." The flashing lights stopped and the alarm ceased a few seconds later.

"Sen, wait and watch over Myra and Nana until the doctors gets here," Fargo said softly. "Make sure they know what I want done with Myra and Nana, and then help them clean up here."

"Yes sir," Sen replied with a salute, using her ARGUS training as a way to deal with the grief.

"Come, my friends," Fargo ordered. "Let's get to my ready room and see what new terror the King has unleashed upon us." Everyone except Sen followed Fargo out of the bloody infirmary. Sen sighed and started looking for a body bag to put her father in.

Three minutes later in Fargo's ready room, Fargo stood looking out the viewport into the dark ocean beyond. Kohta and Lucy stood beside him as Akira sat at the table with Guildo, Jericho, Saito Murata, Miss Karosuma, intelligence chief Elle Eldritch, Mina, security chief Phillip Zubriar, and Emperor Watanabe. Ron sat at the communication's terminal. Chris stood next to Ron. Kagami, Charlene, Tao, Li Mei, Sarah, Duncan, and Draco stood off to the side with Bandoh, watching him carefully.

"Is the ship secure, Phillip?" Fargo asked.

"Yes sir," Phillip answered. "Every deck is on lockdown."

"Good," Fargo said, turning back to the group with Lucy and Kohta. "Chris, what did you want us to see?"

"Show them, Ron," Chris ordered.

"We're receiving news reports about what's happening around the world," Ron said. "And it's not good. The diclonius rebellion is apparently starting to spread into the rest of the world." He punched a button and a holographic viewer of the world appeared with the countries marked. "Where do you want to start, sir?"

"Start with America," Fargo ordered. "I want to know what kind of damage those SHIVA bastards have done."

"Yes sir," Ron said, bringing up a news report from the east coast of the US on the holographic viewer.

"This is Brian Archer from ABC news in New York," a well-dressed news anchor announced from behind his studio desk. "Tonight's top story: the chaos in Japan has spread like a wildfire around the globe. Reports are pouring in from all over the world that the senseless mass killings we saw in Japan have spontaneously erupted in every nation around the globe. The peoples of the world are in a panic, fleeing the cities while the governments have called out the military to deal with what they are calling, quote: 'a dire threat to the very existence of the human race.' The President declared martial law across the US as this epidemic of violence has swept across the country, starting on the west coast. In Los Angeles alone, we have casualty reports ranging from two to three hundred up to a thousand people all across the LA area alone. Hold on, I am receiving word that we have a live feed from Marshal Long in Los Angeles where the most recent attacks have occurred. I'm also told to warn you that what you see may shock and disturb you. Can you tell us what is happening in Los Angeles, Marshal?"

The view switched to a Chinese man wearing a flak jacket carrying an MP-5 machine gun. Behind him in the street lay several burning cars. The buildings looked like they had been bombed. A group of five pink-haired girls led by a maroon-haired man stalked up the street, looking for victims, their horns plainly visible. Whispering to the camera as it zoomed in on the group, Marshal said, "Yes Brian. What you see here is a gang of what I've been told are diclonius: a special, extremely violent mutation of our species. They have incredible telekinetic power and are apparently hunting for anything human. The rage I've seen from these six is incredible. They have the power to block anything except our heaviest of ammunition. We've fired hundreds of rounds at them and it just doesn't get through. So we're luring them down this street into a trap where we hopefully can stop their rampage."

"Has the area been cleared?" Brian asked.

"Yes," Marshal whispered. "The military cleared this area twenty minutes ago of all civilians."

"Has the military tried to reason with these people?" Brian queried.

"Yes," Marshal replied as they retreated before the advancing diclonius gang. "But there's no reasoning with them. They apparently believe that they are the true inheritors of the planet and that we are a viral contagion that needs to be sterilized."

"That's not good," Brian commented, going off script.

"No shit," Marshal agreed as he turned back to the street. "God damn it…we'd they go?"

The voice of the sergeant called out, "Eyes up, everyone. Lock and load!"

A scream rose from the left and the camera panned in time to see a soldier ripping apart in an explosion of blood. The remaining soldiers, including Marshal opened fire in all directions. "Damn it!" Marshal cursed, catching glimpse of one out of the corner of his eye. "They move like ghosts!" More screams erupted. The camera jerked violently and then seemed to float up in the air, showing the group of soldiers with Marshal being ripped to pieces by some invisible force. Limbs and blood flew in a gory display of cruel brutality. Marshal suddenly found himself surrounded by the five diclonius girls, who appeared out of thin air right in front of the camera. The camera floated down and approached Marshal as the girls stared at him with icy hate. Marshal dropped his empty machine gun and sighed as the diclonius man appeared in the screen with the camera still rolling. "Okay, you win," Marshal said softly. "I give up."

"Do you think that will save you from our King's rage?" the diclonius man asked.

"No," Marshal replied stoically. "The only thing I would ask is why? Why do you kill people who have never done anything to you? Please, tell the world why. They are watching."

"Oh, the camera," the diclonius man hissed. "Is it sending out its feed live?"

"Yes," Marshal replied. "Please, tell the world what we did to cause this intolerable hatred of us?"

"You can never understand," the diclonius man growled. "…and neither will they. They are nothing but unevolved half-conscious pond scum who do nothing but destroy that which they fear and don't understand. For over a thousand years, your kind has persecuted my kind. That ends now. We are the masters now, not you. The planet now belongs to us. Time to die, human germ." He looked at Marshal, who crumbled into a pile of chopped meat in an explosion of blood and guts, sliced to bits by the shadowy vectors of the diclonius girls. The diclonius man cackled madly, turning his face to the camera. Addressing the camera, he said, "This is what awaits all you putrid human germs. This is divine retribution for your sins against our kind and the earth. We cannot be stopped. You will all die!" He shattered the camera and the feed turned to static back in New York.

Brian stared at the cameras from behind the desk, his complexion having turned ashen at the brutal carnage witnessed by the entire world. He searched for words as tears forced their way onto his cheeks, ruining his makeup. Completely ignoring the prompter, he finally said grimly, "Ladies and gentlemen of the world, we have seen our end. These creatures, these diclonius fiends are bent on our destruction. If we don't band together, we will perish." He looked again at the reports on the prompter and added, "What you have just witnessed is happening all over the globe in every country. I don't know if they can be stopped." He paused as a message flashed on his prompter. "Oh my god," he cried. "I've just received word that a group of twenty of these beasts have stormed the UN and killed every person in the building. God help us. What do we do?"

"You can die like the filthy human vermin you are," a sinister feminine voice hissed from offstage, her voice clearly heard by the microphones.

Blood suddenly splattered on him as the camera operator's mangled corpse slammed down on the desk in front of him. Brian looked left, and then right in panic as he flew back from the desk. "Please, don't kill me!" he begged. "Please!" He suddenly floated in the air and the camera aired his execution to the entire world. In seconds, his belly splayed open, his guts pulled out, and then wrapped it around his neck in an explosion of blood, strangling him. He screamed in primal agony, dying just before being ripped to pieces. The video feed of the broadcast turned to static.

Fargo stood there with a grim look. "When did you get this?"

"I recorded this a half hour ago," Ron replied. "Similar broadcasts are coming out of Russia, China, Europe, India, and the Middle East. The weaker diclonius around the world appear to have succumbed to the King about the same time Jin did. However, I noticed that the explosion of diclonius violence across the globe is moving like a wave. It hit East Asia first, followed shortly by the west coast of the US. The governments of the world are frantic, pulling out all the stops to halt this genocide. But they're in no position to help themselves or us for that matter. They have their hands full just trying to deal with their own diclonius headaches. Lucky for us, the spread of diclonius violence around the world is not moving nearly as fast as it did here in Japan and the madness that infected the human population here doesn't seem to be spreading beyond the main islands yet."

"It may have to do with the distance," Akira murmured. "The King is reaching out, trying to control all our brothers and sisters at once. The farther away they are, the longer it takes him to poison them with his fury."

"Can we expect the governments of the world to react the same way the Japanese government did in response to the diclonius uprising?" Guildo asked.

"What about the fury infecting the regular humans?" Duncan queried. "Can we expect that to eventually happen too?"

"I'm afraid so," Akira declared grimly. "That's the answer to both questions. The governments are going to use whatever means they have to remain in power, regardless of how many of their own people they kill to stop the onslaught of our brothers and sisters. And as for the fury poisoning the human populations of those countries, we can expect it too. But it shouldn't happen as fast as it did here. I suspect that the King is overreaching his bounds by trying to take control of the entire planet at once. He's powerful, but not that powerful."

"Then we may have an opening here," Tao surmised.

"Yes," Akira answered. "It may weaken him enough where we can sneak up on him."

"Are there any human organizations trying to rescue people from Japan?" Saito asked.

"I have been monitoring everything I can get," Ron said. "Apparently, some of the humanitarian agencies like the Red Cross, Amnesty International, and Doctors without Borders are trying to get into Japan to help. But they aren't making much progress. The UN slapped a blockade on Japan when the defacto government used nukes on the cities to stop the riot. The world did not look kindly on that at all. However, most of the ships for the blockade haven't arrived yet. Only the US has ships patrolling the waters and there's only a handful of them. Fortunately for us, we're inside their blockade perimeter. It looks like it's up to us to stop this insanity."

Fargo looked at Lucy, who had a grim look of determination on her face. "So what do you think, Lucy?"

"Seeing that video brought up some very bad memories," she muttered gloomily. "We have to stop this now before it goes any farther."

Kohta gently wrapped his arm around her. "I agree," he said. "We need to fix this now."

Bandoh's sinister chuckle got everyone's attention. "What are you laughing at?" Kohta snapped.

"At all of you," Bandoh replied. "You all look like someone has cut off your balls."

"That's not a very nice thing to say," Sarah chided.

Bandoh looked at her with a mocking grin. "Believe me, sweetheart. I was being kind by saying that."

Charlene slapped Bandoh viciously with her vector, bloodying his nose. "Enough of that, you arrogant prick. It's not weakness to value life."

Bandoh wiped his bloody nose with his hand. His mocking air disappeared and his anger emerged again. "That may be the case," he hissed. "But that's not what the King sees at all. To him, human life is an abomination that should have never been introduced. To him, we are a virus to be exterminated. But why tell you something you already know? It's pointless. I'll tell you what I do see here. I see a group who has agreed something must be done but they haven't a fucking clue as to what it is. You've been castrated by your friend's fall from grace. Let me let you in on a little secret I shared with Kohta when I rescued him. This is a harsh world where the strong survive and weak perish. That's the King's motto. When he's done with humanity, he will pit you against one another until he's the only one left. The only way you're going to deal with him is to be more cruel and violent than he is. Violence is his language. I should know. I speak the same language. You want to beat this son of a bitch? Then you need a plan…something I have yet to see come from any of you."

"You tread on very thin ice, Bandoh," Fargo warned. "Be careful or we may decide you've outlived your usefulness."

"Keep your threats to yourself, captain," Bandoh retorted. "I just call it like I see it and as of now, I see no real plan on how we are going to take this bastard down."

"He has a point," Akira admitted. "I believe we've been too close to the problem. His callous vantage point may be just what we need to formulate a strategy for dealing with the King."

"Master Akira is right," Emperor Watanabe declared. "I can see it too. We don't have a workable plan to retrieve the young lady and deal with this King. I say we listen to what he has to say."

"It's up to Lucy," Fargo replied. "What do you think?"

She glared at Bandoh, but knew he was right. "As much as I hate to admit it, the asshole does have a point. We don't have a workable plan. Up until now, I assumed the plan was to storm the island, fight our way through god knows how many of the King's minions to rescue Mayu and find him. After what happened with Jin and what we just saw, I'm thinking a frontal assault may not be the best idea."

"You're finally using that grey matter between your ears," Bandoh congratulated sarcastically. "It's about fucking time."

Lucy slapped him with a vector brutally, knocking him to the floor. "Enough with the sarcasm, you boorish pig…do you have a plan or not?"

"Oh, I have a plan, sweetheart," Bandoh growled, rubbing his jaw as he rose to his feet. "I've been working on it since I left that place. Are you going to pay attention?"

"Just tell us," Kohta snapped impatiently.

"Before I tell you, I have one question," Bandoh replied icily. "How far are you willing to go to get the job done? If you're not willing to go all the way, then there's no point in me telling you."

"If you value your life, you will tell us right now," Lucy hissed, becoming very pissed with Bandoh.

"Okay, your majesty," Bandoh replied with another sarcastic barb. "Don't get your panties in a wad. Now everyone listen up. This is the way it is. He has Mayu, most likely locked up in one of the maximum-security cells near the Lazarus labs. He will have his people on guard, looking for Lucy's signature. I'm not sure whether he can sense Kohta or not but I'd bet he's given orders to keep an eye out for him too. He wants both of you alive so he can kill you himself. Everyone else is meat for the grinder. He'll have his best guys laying in ambush for you at Mayu's cell expecting us to come there in one unit. Here's where we fake him out. If you want to get Mayu out of there in one piece, then we must divide our forces, go in three teams. Two teams must be a diversion to draw the minions away from the cell while the third unit goes in and secures Mayu. Once Mayu is safely away from the Institute, then we can go hunting for the King. Is that simple enough for you?"

"Simple, yet elegant," Akira commented.

"Sir," Ron called out. "I am reading a faint radio signal coming from the island, from the computer core inside the power plant."

"Put it on screen," Fargo ordered.

Ron's fingers danced over the buttons and the animation of Kakuzawa's dismemberment appeared. They grimaced in disgusted satisfaction. "A fitting end to an evil bastard," Bandoh commented with a laugh.

"You should know," Lucy retorted.

"Oh dear," Saito growled. "This is not good. You said you're picking this up coming from inside the computer core of the power plant?"

"Yes sir," Ron said. "Apparently, this gruesome animation is the carrier of a computer virus that has infected the computer systems of the Institute. The moment I picked up on it, I isolated it so it would not infect our systems. But this virus has apparently reached the core and is destroying the fail-safes on the fusion reactor as I speak. In addition to this, I'm reading severe power fluctuations coming from the reactor core."

"How long do we have before it goes critical?" Guildo asked.

"Four hours and the core will explode, wiping out everything for a fifty-kilometer radius," Ron answered grimly. "We're looking at least a fifty megaton explosion, maybe larger."

"It was not supposed to do that," Saito hissed. "Someone fucked with the program."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"This program is of ARGUS manufacture," Saito replied. "I oversaw its development. Once introduced, it was supposed to short out the security apparatus protecting the Institute from outside attack, not infect the reactor system or the security measures on the cells. We had planned to knock out their security as the first stage of an assault on the Institute to take it back from Kakuzawa. But someone obviously changed the program protocols and ordered the virus to take down the whole system and blow the reactor."

"Who would do something so heinous?" Karosuma asked.

"Who had access to the program besides you and your team, Mr. Murata?" Emperor Watanabe queried. "Could it be the same people in ARGUS who tried to kill us are behind this too?"

Saito's eyes grew wide. His mouth curled into a deep frown. "God damn it," he cursed, smacking his fist down on the table. "I should've realized Edward was behind this."

"Who's Edward?" Charlene asked.

"Edward is the head of the ARGUS special weapons and intelligence division," Saito reported, his tone dripping with disgust. "He had higher clearance than I did and was responsible for getting the disk to our spy in the Institute. I'm sure he's the one who turned ARGUS against us, believing the diclonius species should be exterminated. If I ever see his face again, I'm going to rip it off and shove it up his ass! A core explosion at the Institute will be catastrophic. It will easily wipe out a hundred kilometer stretch of the coastline, just like Ron said."

"Not good," Fargo growled. "Is there any stopping it?"

"I doubt it," Saito returned coldly. "Once it corrupted the power plant fail-safes, there's no way to stop it."

"What about manual shutdown?" Tao asked.

"That would be a slim possibility," Saito said. "The manual controls over the reactor are next to the core itself sealed in a room with four feet of chromium lead shielding. However, the hatch to it is controlled by the power plant operating system within the computer core. If the virus has progressed to the point that the fail-safes are melting down, chances are the door can't be opened. Also, there's the very real possibility that the radiation levels in that area may be lethal if the core is on a runaway fusion cycle."

"And the shit just gets deeper," Kohta hissed.

"Indeed," Saito agreed. "Just getting to it would be challenge enough. Add the possibility of lethal radiation levels there and I just don't see how we could stop it."

"Could a diclonius reach through the walls of the secured room with their vectors and shut the core down?" Elle asked.

"I'm afraid not," Saito answered. "The chromium lead walls are mixed with an alloy we discovered that blocks any diclonius vector from getting in. When the power plant was designed, the ARGUS designers wanted to make sure no diclonius could get to the controls with their vectors and cause a core explosion. Besides, even if a diclonius could reach into the control room, we still have the problem with radiation we must deal with."

"This sure is a terrible quandary," Akira murmured.

"Can you tell if there's any radiation leaking right now?" Kohta asked.

"I can try," Ron answered.

"Do it," Fargo ordered.

Ron's fingers once again danced over the console. "I'm going to try to use the satellites to check the radiation levels around the Institute since we cannot trust the information coming from the corrupted computer core." He stared intensely as he took control of the satellite, zooming in on the Institute. "The power levels are fluctuating so wildly that even the satellites are picking up on it. The radiation levels are slowly building around the Institute, but they are not harmful yet. If the radiation levels continue to rise at the present rate, we have just over three hours before the radiation rises to lethal levels."

"Not good," Li Mei growled. "That narrows our window by almost an hour. We need to get to the Institute now."

"I agree," Fargo murmured. "Ron, how far are we from the Institute?

"We're two hours out," Ron said.

"That's not leaving us with much time," Guildo replied.

"No kidding, Sherlock," Bandoh growled sarcastically.

"Chris, we need to get every last ounce of speed out of this ship," Fargo replied. "Go."

"Yes sir," Chris replied, heading to the bridge.

"So," Bandoh muttered. "The million dollar question is how are we going to get Mayu, kill the King, and escape before that fusion reactor turns everything south of Tokyo into a smoking hole?"

Everyone stared at Bandoh with disdain. "I think your idea of three teams is feasible," Fargo stated coldly. "However, I think at least one of the teams should try to reach the reactor and disable it before it blows. We should have a better idea of the radiation levels when we get closer. If the radiation is a real problem, we have the radiation suits we can use to approach the reactor."

"That's the first inkling of a plan," Bandoh answered bluntly. "Now let's get to work and plan this attack." Turning to Ron, he asked, "Can you pull up the Institute's blueprints? We're going to need them."

Ron looked at Fargo and he nodded. "Do it, Ron," Fargo replied. Ron brought up the schematics for the Institute as Chris returned.

"Ship is running at top speed captain," Chris announced. "We should be able to get there in an hour and forty-five minutes."

"Excellent," Fargo replied. "Now let's plan our rescue and assault."

The King looked out to sea from his perch atop the Institute, rage boiling on his face. He remained unaware of the growing crisis in the reactor core beneath his feet. "I lost the connector to the Queen," he growled. "What is going on? Why is my plan starting to unravel? Gaaa, it doesn't matter. What's one setback when everything else is working perfectly? It makes no difference whether she got the piece or not. It will do her no good. When I puncture the Collective, the Fury will rush out and every human and diclonius on this planet will go stark-raving mad and kill each other in a blood storm that even she will not be able to stop. I will have my time. Once I cleanse these parasites from the planet, my brothers and sisters can rise to claim what is rightfully theirs and we'll no longer be confined to the darkness. The end is here and his name is Fury!"

Across the Pacific, the President of the United States sat at a large round table in a hardened bunker just outside of Washington DC. His military, civilian, and intelligence advisors sat around the table. Dozens of monitors showed open warfare with the diclonius in the streets of major US cities. A red phone sat at the President's position at the table. One monitor from New York showed only static. They had just witnessed the brutal execution of Brian Archer by the diclonius marauders. The President leaned back in his chair with deep worry etching his face.

"How widespread are these mass killings?" he asked.

"We have seen killings in every major city, sir," a military advisor reported. "They started on the west coast and proceeded east. However, the worst of the killings have occurred in cities with heavy economic and military components as well as population. These things, these diclonius are trying to take us down as a country. We must respond with all necessary measures, including our nuclear assets if needed."

The President looked at the military advisor with disgust. "Our nuclear assets are never an option," he snapped. "I'm not going to use nuclear weapons on our people like they did in Japan. Did you not notice that when they did, they caused more havoc than the diclonius did? No, I'm not going to use our nuclear ordinance. Can someone tell me who these people are and what they want? Maybe there's some way we can reason with them."

"There's no reasoning with them because they aren't human," the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff balked. "All efforts have been made to ascertain what they want and all we get in return is slaughtered men and women. These fiends don't want peace. They want us dead."

"What kind of numbers are we looking at for these diclonius?" the President asked.

"We have no numbers on them," another advisor reported. "They can look like anyone. The only thing that sets them apart from us is two bony protrusions on their head that resemble horns. We suspect those horns may have something to do with their telekinetic power."

"So these people can move things with their minds," the President said.

"Yes," the advisor replied. "They have the capability of using that power to kill and to block all but our heaviest ammunition."

"Interesting," the President replied, rubbing his jaw. "But why have they suddenly gone on the attack? I didn't even know of their existence until the catastrophe in Japan. Why was I not informed about these people and their abilities before now? Someone has been lying to me and it stops here."

The Secretary of Defense stirred at his position. "Plausible deniability, sir…you didn't need to know," he answered. "The diclonius has been a faction we've been investigating for years now. We knew of their unstable nature and their power from our operatives in Japan who were studying them to find out how we can stop them if the need arose."

"You don't mean you they were experimenting on them, do you?" the President asked, horrified by the ramifications of the Defense Secretary's statement.

"These diclonius are a direct threat to national security, Mr. President," the Defense Secretary replied matter-of-factly. "We had to know what they were capable of so we could neutralize them if they became a threat. And as we both know, they have indeed become the threat we feared."

"Who ordered this experimentation?" the President demanded. "Speak!"

"It's best you not know," the Defense Secretary retorted. "They have the power to sink us, if they choose."

"I don't give a flying fuck who they are," the President roared, slamming his fist down on the table. "I will know because I'm betting they are responsible for our current mess. No human should be experimented on."

"The diclonius are not human," the Chairman retorted. "They are a mutated aberration and a threat to humanity. They must be purged. It's nothing you can do about it now. We must fight to protect ourselves. These beasts are not going to stop until we're all dead."

"Who else feels this way?" the President asked. All but three of the advisors raised their hands. "So…this is the way it is. Very well then," he hissed. "Before I order a wholesale extermination of diclonius here, I want reports on who they are and what they're capable of. And I want to know if there are any ongoing operations to stop this. Until I see the evidence, I will not order the destruction of these people. For now, keep them isolated from the civilians. Use whatever force is necessary to keep the groups separated. Only after I understand what we're up against will I order further action. And no nuclear weapons; I will not burn have this country burned to ashes with our own nukes. Is this clear to everyone?"

"Yes, Mr. President," everyone replied in unison.

"Mr. President," the Chairman said coldly. "I understand your hesitation. But make no mistake, we are at war with these things. I know they would kill each one of us without thinking twice. I hope you come to understand this before we run out of time."

"Get me the intelligence I want and then we'll talk, General," the President said icily. "Now go…leave me."

"Yes sir," the Chairman replied. "We should have what you requested within the hour." He walked out with the others, leaving the President sitting in the chair. One of the intelligence advisors who had stood back in the corner watching the meeting walked up and sat down next to him, holding a plain folder of papers.

"Who're you," the President asked. "I haven't seen you before."

"My name is Samuel Wallace," the advisor replied with a Scottish accent. "I just arrived with important information for your eyes only. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?"

"Come with me," the President replied, rising and shaking Samuel's hand. He led Samuel to his private office. Once he closed the door and sat at his desk, he asked, "What do you have to show me? I hope it's something that can help me with this current crisis."

Samuel laid the folder in front of the President. "The answers you want are right there," he declared, standing in front of the desk with his arms folded across his chest.

The President opened the folder, seeing a picture of Lucy and Kohta along with the file there. His eyes grew wide and focused as he studied the file intensely. "Where did you get this?"

"Sir," Samuel answered. "I was an intelligence analyst from SHIVA. I got that file from our database when the leadership turned against the Queen, just like your advisors have turned against you. There is a way to stop this insanity without turning it into genocide."

"You have my full attention," the President said. "Who are these people and what do they have to do with this diclonius madness?"

"The girl in the picture is the Queen of all Diclonius," Samuel reported. "She is known only as Lucy and was one of those who were experimented on in Japan. She escaped the facility in Kamakura known as the Institute for Diclonius Research and sought out the boy you see there. From what I understand, she wanted to apologize for killing his family years before. This chaos is a direct result of inhuman and unethical treatment of the diclonius by humans." Samuel then explained who was responsible for the diclonius rebellion, followed by a summary of the Chimera mission to find and secure Lucy so she could determine the fate of the planet. "The last intelligence I received from the Chimera indicated they had secured Lucy and her adoptive family and that she'd decided the human race didn't need to die. However, before she can stop them, she has to take control of them from a being we call the King, whom we believe is behind this insanity. She must take him down before she can take control of the diclonius hive mind."

"So what you're saying is that we are caught in the middle of a diclonius civil war," the President stated, making sure he clearly understood what Samuel told him.

"In a manner, yes," Samuel agreed. "However, the number of diclonius who want us dead far outweigh those who want peace with us. It has to do with their connection to the hive mind they have. All evidence points to the problem being an imbalance within that hive mind. If the Queen can restore balance in what they call their Collective, then she can call off the attack. However, that is being severely complicated by those who want the extermination of their kind. People within your own administration are involved in this rush to destruction because they are the ones who helped back the Institute and their inhuman experiments on the diclonius. They wish to cover their mistake by destroying the diclonius threat forever. The thing they don't understand is we don't know how many of these people are out there and whether any more will be born or not. We cannot take the path of Nazi genocide and eugenics to stop this. That makes us worse than them."

"I suspected as much when they didn't provide me with any other alternatives than extermination," the President answered with a grim look. "You say the same mentality took over SHIVA too?"

"I fear it has," Samuel said. "And last I heard, the military staged a coup in Japan just before the nukes went off when Prime Minister Otomi refused to let them exterminate the diclonius there."

"I don't believe this," the President hissed. "But I cannot deny it. I saw the looks on their faces when I told them I wanted to see the evidence myself about who and what these diclonius are. They don't want peace with the diclonius, but their destruction at any means. I can't let that happen."

"I agree," Samuel stated bluntly. "I saw it too. Do you have anyone you completely trust in your government and military?"

"You believe they will try the same thing they did in Japan here?" the President asked.

"I know so," Samuel said. "If you have anyone you can trust, you must gather them to stop those who want war." He suddenly looked around and growled, a feeling of peril falling upon him. He rushed to the door and locked it. "They're coming for you, Mr. President. Do you trust me?"

"Who are you really?" the President asked, getting a taste of fear as he heard a commotion outside the door.

Samuel reached up and removed a contact lense, revealing a maroon eye. The President gasped, looking first at Lucy's picture, and then at Samuel. When an empty chair suddenly slid across the floor, jamming against the door, he gasped, "You're one of them, aren't you…a diclonius?"

"Yes, Mr. President," Samuel answered, putting the contact lense back in his eye, hiding his true eye color. Then to further prove his identity, he pushed aside the thick hair at his temple, revealing a small, cat-ear shaped horn. "But I assure you, I mean you no harm. I am with the diclonius underground who is working to make sure Lucy has her chance to stop this insanity. The reason I'm here is because we knew of traitors in your midst who want you dead so they can burn us all to ashes. I'm here to make sure you survive and can counter them. Our underground group is moving all over the world to stop the same thing in other countries. We can live together without killing each other if we both fight our baser instincts. It can be done. Now do you trust me?" Samuel reached out his hand as the commotion ceased outside the door. "You must trust me if you want to live."

A knock came to the door. "Mr. President," the Chairman called out. "I have the information you requested. Mr. President, are you all right?" Both the President and Samuel heard machine gun bolts sliding outside the door.

The President rose from his desk, closing the folder. He sighed deeply. "It seems my time has run out. I guess I have no choice. What are we going to do? That door is the only way out of here."

"Don't worry," Samuel replied with a wry smile. "I know just what to do and it won't involve killing anyone."

"I'd like to see that," the President said, curiosity eating at him.

"Mr. President?" the Chairman called out impatiently. "We know you're in there with the spy. Now open up, sir." When no one answered, he ordered, "Knock it down." A hail of bullets tore the latch off and the door burst open with three soldiers armed with machine guns invading the room. They opened fire, spraying the desk area. Wood and paper flew into the air as the bullets ripped the desk to pieces. "Cease fire!" the Chairman barked. "What the hell? Where is he? Where did they go? Go to infrared…find them! He cannot leave this bunker alive!"

The soldiers swept the room with their infrared scopes, finding nothing. They burst in the private bathroom, sweeping the confined space with their scopes. "He's not here," one of the soldiers called out. "He just vanished."

"Search the entire base," the Chairman roared. "Shoot to kill."

"Yes sir," the soldiers barked in unison, leaving on a mission.

The Chairman stood there, mystified as the Defense Secretary walked in. "Did you get him?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not," the Chairman replied. "Somehow, he escaped our net. But he won't get far."

"You'd better hope he doesn't. The Vice President isn't going to like this," the Defense Secretary hissed. "The President has influential friends who are loyal to him in the military and intelligence circles. He could cause us great trouble if he isn't eliminated. The President must die for the good of the world."

"I understand, Mr. Secretary," the Chairman stated, following the treasonous Defense Secretary out of the room.

Once they were gone, Samuel appeared out of thin air floating in the far corner near the ceiling of the room. He held the President gently in his vectors. Once they landed, the President said, "Thank you for saving my life. Looks like you were right. Those guys really do want me dead. They are going to die for their treason. I promise. By the way, how did you hide us like that? They didn't even see us."

"It's a little trick we diclonius can do with our vectors, sir," Samuel explained. "Now let's get you and your family out of here."

"Yes," the President agreed. "Let's get out of this den of snakes. You lead. I follow."

"Stay close," Samuel ordered, spinning his vectors around them. They vanished from sight just as a group of soldiers rushed by the door.

A/N: For those who were wondering what was happening across the globe as diclonius rampaged and nukes burned Japan, you need not wonder any more. The King of Furies has set in motion a wave of diclonius destruction that now spreads like a virus from Japan to every nation on the planet. No one is immune. Jin succumbs to his power and goes on a rampage, trying to kill Lucy and sink the Chimera. Bandoh stops him brutally as Jin starts to tear Myra to pieces, saving her and Nana. This enables Lucy to retrieve the piece Izanami gave Jin. But Bandoh's darkness and rage get darker by the minute and those around him wonder if he's really on their side.

At the same time, the diclonius rampage in LA and New York with reports of similar activity coming in from every country. The UN in New York City fell to diclonius marauders and the US government prepares to take the same path Japan did with martial law and an assassination attempt on the President. However, the diclonius underground is just as active and rescues the President, providing him with crucial evidence of the ongoing operation to stop the madness as well as news that they are working to salvage the leadership of other nations from the same madness that took the Japanese government. Will the diclonius underground be able to find common ground with the government leaders they save or will the Fury overpower them in the end? Will those on the Chimera reach Mayu in time before the Institute's fusion reactor explodes or will she die with Lucy and Kohta in the clutches of the King? The endgame is on with the soul of the planet hanging in the balance. Will the King realize his plan by puncturing the Collective so the Fury can come into our dimension and kill every living thing? Will Lucy, Kohta, and her band of misfits stop this annihilation or be consumed by it? Keep reading to find out. Reviews are always welcome. As always, when reviewing, be honest, but kind. More to come.

Beowulf Caverias


	25. Chapter 25 Passing the Torch

Chapter 25

Passing the Torch

Akira sat alone in Captain Fargo's ready room, staring out of the large viewport into the dark sea beyond. Sweat beaded on his leathery skin, which had turned ashen in just a couple of hours. A pod of dolphins swam back and forth across the viewport, looking into the Chimera at Akira in the dim light of the ready room. A weak, but satisfied smile graced Akira's lips as he watched the dolphins. "Patience, my friends," he mumbled to them. "It won't be long now." A broken cough erupted from his lungs that brought up blood. "Not long at all." As he spoke, Kagami entered the room.

"Dad, why are you sitting here in the dark?" she asked.

Akira swiveled his chair to face his daughter. "You already know the answer to that question, my precious daughter. My time is up."

Kagami gasped as she saw the specter of death in his face. Her face fell with her spirit into the abyss of dark despair. "No," she cried, rushing to his side and dropping to her knees at his feet. "You can't die, not yet! We still need you. I need you." Tears gushed forth uncontrollably. "There has to be another way!"

"Oh Kagami," he said softly, stroking her long soft hair as her head lay on his knee. "You don't need me. You never have. But now you must be strong, and let me go. My race is run, and the finish line is just steps away. I've cheated death long enough. Izanami has called me home. I must go."

"But Dad," Kagami bawled. "You are my life! What will I do without you? It's not fair!"

"I know," he replied. "Life is seldom fair. Good people die needlessly, while evil people live on perpetrating their hate against others. Our world is rife with it. But that is all about to change. The world as everyone knows it will be forever changed when this over."

"I understand that," she murmured. "I know we're going through the birth of a new era. But what will I do without you? I love you."

Akira sighed and embraced his daughter. "I love you, too. But you will do what you must, as I must. This is our way: the way of the diclonius. I can no more defy death than you can." He broke into a fit of deep coughing that set his lungs on fire. Akira clenched his chest in agony until the coughing fit ceased. Slumping in the chair, blood drooled from the corners of his mouth as his breath became more labored. Kagami held him until the coughing fit ceased, wiping the blood with a handkerchief. She tried to heal him, but saw his condition was beyond remedy. When he gained his breath to speak, he said, "You can do nothing for me, Kagami. Time has caught up with me. But know that I have always loved you. I loved your mother more than you could ever know. You were the greatest blessing ever to come to me. I never regretted what I did. However, now is the time for us to part. This will be your greatest trial. Never give up your faith in humanity."

"But Dad," Kagami whimpered. "How will I live without you? I'll be all alone."

"No, my precious daughter," Akira retorted weakly. "You will not be alone. You have a family you are completely unaware of. Your mother was Kohta's aunt. You and he are cousins. Fate has truly woven an intricate tapestry of our lives."

Kagami stared in utter amazement. "Kohta is my cousin?" she asked, mouthing the words to be sure she understood them.

"Yes," Akira reaffirmed. "So you are not alone. Your cousin will become the King of all Diclonius, and like you, he is a hybrid, so you are not alone. Did you ever wonder why you felt so comfortable around him, like you could tell him anything, like somehow he was family?"

Kagami wiped her tears and nodded. "Yes," she admitted. "From the moment we first met, I had this strange feeling we were connected somehow. Why didn't you tell me, Dad?"

A gurgling rose from Akira as he said, "Because you weren't ready for the truth. Now is the time when all veneers will be stripped away and the terrible truth of our world will be exposed. You are now ready for this truth. I've been preparing you since you were born for this day. Yours is a unique path. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Kagami stared at her father, floating in the realization that she wouldn't be alone. "I think so. But I don't want to lose you, Dad."

Akira took his daughter into his arms and gently embraced her. "You will never lose me, Kagami. What I am is inside you. Everything I am resides within your genetic structure, even my connection to the Collective. As long as you have your connection to the Collective, you will never lose me. Now, can I give you some advice?" She nodded. Akira cleared is lungs once again and said weakly, "Always follow your heart, wherever it takes you. You will not go wrong with Duncan. He will love and protect you forever. It's okay for you to be with him."

Kagami gasped, and then beamed with excitement. She lavished a grateful hug on Akira. "Oh thank you, Dad. Thank you. I was so afraid that you wouldn't approve of Duncan and I being together."

"Not at all, Kagami," Akira returned with a smile. "I have seen his heart and mind. He is wise beyond his years. From the moment he came to us, Duncan has been partial to you in particular. It is an honor for him to be your lover and sworn protector. But there is something else I want you to do too."

"What is it, Dad?" she asked. "Anything."

"I want you to trust Kohta and Lucy explicitly," Akira ordered softly. "They're your family, your very blood, and family is a power thing. Pay attention to them, but also watch Bandoh very carefully. He has an agenda known only to him. I am suspicious of his plan."

"You don't trust him?" Kagami asked.

"Absolutely not," Akira whispered hoarsely. "I fear he may betray our cause, so we must act as if he will. I have a plan of my own that I've not shared with anyone. It's time for me to share it. Can you go get both the captains, Dr. Ravenclaw, Kohta, Lucy, Charlene, Tao, Li Mei, Duncan, Draco, Phillip, Elle, and Saito? Bring them here quickly. My time is running out."

"Are you going to be all right, Dad?" Kagami queried in a concerned tone.

"I'll be okay. But you must be quick," Akira answered. "Kohta must be here for my final rites. Promise me something, Kagami."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Don't hold a grudge against Kohta when he performs my final rites," Akira said. "I wish to go out in this manner. Promise me."

"I promise, dad," Kagami whimpered, tears running down her cheeks. "I could no more hate Kohta than you."

Akira patted her on the hand. "Good girl…now go and bring them here." Kagami kissed him on the cheek and left. A rattling sigh escaped his lips. He felt his strength draining away as water down a sink. He turned his chair to the viewport, seeing the pod of dolphins still milling around the window, watching. One exceptionally large dolphin swam up to the glass and looked Akira in the eye. He stared back with a weak smile. "I know, my friend. Soon you will see the rise of a titan who will save us all."

Within minutes, Kohta and Lucy entered the ready room, seeing Akira leaning back in the chair, staring out into the dark sea beyond the viewport. "Kohta, Lucy, come in. Please, come in," Akira called out in a weak, broken voice.

Kohta and Lucy rushed to him. When he swiveled his chair around, both Kohta and Lucy recoiled in horror. Akira's features were ashen and sunken. His lips were blue, but his sunken eyes burned with an intensity that surprised Kohta and Lucy. "Akira, what happened to you? You look like you're one step above dead." Lucy asked.

"That's because I am, my queen," Akira replied. "As I told you before, since Yoshitora unleashed the Fury, I have been unable to counter the cancer that has been eating me alive. Now, it has about run its course."

"Is there anything we can do?" Lucy asked softly, kneeling down at his feet. She sensed the impending tragedy, and the loss of a great diclonius warrior.

"There is, my queen," Akira whispered in a hoarse voice. "The time has come for me to pass on my knowledge and piece of the Collective to Master Kohta. When I tell you, will you accommodate me, Kohta? Do not let me die without passing on what I know directly to you. Will you do that for me?"

Tears welled up in Kohta's eyes as he knelt down beside Lucy. He touched Akira on the knee. "I'd rather not kill you," Kohta murmured sorrowfully. "You're my friend, and more like a father to me than anyone I've ever met. But, if you insist, I will."

"Look at me, Kohta," Akira ordered. Kohta looked Akira in the eye. "You are not killing me, Kohta," Akira stated. "You're freeing me. This body is already dead. Within the hour, the cancer will end my life on this plane. It will be an excruciatingly painful death too. I do not wish to die that lingering death. Besides, Izanami has called me home. Only when I perform this last sacrifice will I get to go home to her."

"But how do I do it?" Kohta asked. "I've never killed someone with a vector before. I don't want to dishonor you with a messy death."

"Never fear, my son," Akira said. "I shall teach you." Akira sent out one vector that touched Kohta's frontal lobe.

Lucy tensed, but relaxed slightly when Kohta said, "It's all right, Lucy. He's just teaching me what to do."

"He'd better be," Lucy growled, ready to pounce.

"Never fear, my queen," Akira reassured as he pulled back his vector. "The fastest way for Kohta to learn how to do what I want is for me to impart the knowledge directly to his mind with my vector. I have done this many times. Do you know what to do now, Master Kohta?"

Kohta gasped Akira's hand firmly. "Yes, Master Akira. I do. Thank you for showing me how to do it. I feel much better about the mechanics of this process now, though I still don't feel right about doing it. It's my human side that objects to this."

"I know it does," Akira stated. "But you know it's the only way. Even now, I feel the cancer eating my heart and lungs. Even worse, the Fury is creeping up on me, and I have no way to counter it. If we wait until I die of natural causes, the Fury will take what I want to give you. We must not let that happen."

"I agree," Kohta murmured.

"Good, you understand why I'm asking this now," Akira replied. "I have always thought of you as a son, Kohta. But now I have something vitally important to tell you. When I am gone, I want you and Lucy to watch out for Kagami. She's feeling particularly vulnerable right now, and you're the only blood family she'll have left once I'm gone."

"We will look after her," Lucy promised. "You have my word on it."

"I really appreciate that, Lucy," Akira said softly after clearing his lungs.

"What do you mean?" Kohta asked sharply.

"Kohta, Kagami's mother is your mother's older sister," Akira declared. "Kagami is your cousin."

Kohta staggered as if punched in the belly. He reached out, grasping onto Lucy for stability. "Are you all right, Kohta?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know," Kohta whispered. Turning to Akira, he asked, "She's my cousin? How can this be? I thought I was all that was left of my family aside from Yuka."

"Your mother was the fourth of six siblings, four girls and two boys," Akira explained. "Your mother's sister, Kia, was the first-born and nearly twenty years older than your mother, Tasha. Tasha lost track of Kia when Kia moved out of Japan when she was seventeen. I met Kia in Singapore almost seventy years ago and married her. I loved her deeply, especially when she gave me Kagami. Kia died twenty years ago, just before you were born, Kohta. Because of Kagami, I began to monitor Kia's siblings, thus I became aware of both you and Yuka. I hoped to bring you together as a family at some point, especially after what happened between you and Lucy as children." Akira paused for a few moments, catching his breath and clearing is lungs again. "The point is I have been watching you since you were born, Kohta. I know how alone you felt. Kagami has felt the same way. But I want you to know that you are not alone, and you have a cousin in Kagami. She loves you as a brother, Kohta."

Kohta suddenly looked at Lucy. The shock on his face turned to a bright smile. "Did you hear that, Lucy? I have another cousin I didn't even know I had. We're not alone in this, Lucy! We have a family!" He swept Lucy up in a passionate embrace. "But you are my love and life, Lucy. Only in you am I complete. Thank you."

Lucy hesitated for a moment, and then responded to the hug. She could feel the love and excitement towards her and for finding an unknown family member bubbling out of him. It melted her icy heart further.

"See the power of humanity, Lucy," Akira said, noticing the love emanating from Kohta. "Let it embrace you and melt the icy fury of your heart. See how the love and life of Izanami causes the Fury to flee. Embrace it, my queen."

Lucy let go of her inhibition and embraced Kohta's excitement. Tears rose in her eyes, and a puzzled expression crossed her face. "Kohta, you have such love and life in you," she whispered. "I don't understand it, but I love you for it. You have saved me from my own dark hell. I wish to be…"

Kohta cupped her face with his hands, pulling her close until they touched foreheads. "Lucy, will you marry me. Fargo has the authority to do it. Will you marry me right now? I accept you as you are, no conditions. The past is gone. All we have is the now and the future. I can think of no one else with which I'd rather spend it."

Lucy's eyes grew wide. A gasp followed.

"We are destined for this, Lucy," Kohta continued. "We are both splendidly wounded, by each other and the world that rejected us. Only together can we heal our wounds and the world. Please say yes."

Lucy closed her eyes and clenched her head with her hands. A scream erupted as Kohta held her tight. Lucy went limp, having passed out.

"Lucy, Lucy!" Kohta called to her.

"She has switched personalities," Akira declared. "She couldn't handle the love you generated. You must go after her, Kohta. The time to heal her fractured mind is now." As he spoke, Kagami returned with Fargo, Guildo, Dr. Ravenclaw, Charlene, Tao, Li Mei, Duncan, Draco, Phillip, Elle, and Saito.

"What's wrong?" Fargo asked, rushing forward upon hearing Lucy's cry.

Before Kohta or Akira could answer, a mature voice rose from Lucy as she woke. "Lucy is still having trouble accepting Kohta's unrestricted love. He just asked her to marry him."

Kohta recognized the voice. "Kaeda, is that you?" he asked while helping her sit up.

Kaeda reached out, caressing Kohta's jaw. "Yes, Kohta, it's me. Lucy retreated because of your offer. She truly wants your love and will marry you, but you need to give her time. But because of what's going on, I took control so we may deal with the problem at hand. Help me up, Kohta." Kohta helped Kaeda to her feet.

"Why have you come forward, Kaeda?" Akira asked. "You've never let yourself be seen like this before. What has changed?"

"You have, old man," Kaeda said coolly. "You have served Izanami well, Akira. But now you're slipping away. You must fulfill this last task before the Fury takes you. I came out to make sure that you did as Izanami ordered."

"Is Lucy here too?" Kohta asked.

"Yes, Kohta," Kaeda answered. "I am here at her request, and so is Nyu and Lucy's Fury. They watch as this drama unfolds. Time is precious, Kohta. Akira needs to set his affairs in order now." Turning to Akira, "It's time for your plan, General. Reveal it so you can make the final journey to Izanami at Kohta's hand."

"So true," Akira murmured in a broken, raspy voice. "Now that you are all here, I can reveal the truth of what is happening." A deep silence dropped over the ready room, broken only by Akira's raspy breathing. "Bandoh is not to be trusted."

"I think we all agree on that assessment," Duncan stated venomously.

"But it's worse than you think," Akira stated. "Bandoh has the blackest darkness I've ever encountered. His life is filled with betrayal, anger, and hate. He doesn't know the power of love or friendship. As a result, he is a dangerous predator with allegiance only to himself. His hatred of Lucy is only surpassed by that of Yoshitora. The plan we agreed upon is a perfect chance for him to get rid of both his enemies at the same time."

"You suggest that he will betray us to the King, and kill whoever wins the fight. Am I correct?" Guildo asked.

"Yes, Captain Guildo," Akira answered. "I do. Therefore, we must act as if this is his plan and make a plan of our own."

"What do you suggest?" Tao asked.

"I have been planning for this contingency since Bandoh came to my attention," Akira wheezed. He coughed, spitting blood into a handkerchief to given him by Kagami. When he cleared his lungs, he continued. "We must use Bandoh's arrogance and hate as a weapon. We will follow the plan he suggested. But once we leave the Chimera, the other two teams will split up and come in on different approaches than what he suggested. Also, the makeup of the other two teams must change. I suggest that we let Kohta go in with one team and Lucy another. That way, we can avoid the possibility of both being captured at the same time. Is this agreeable?"

Kaeda's face fell at the suggestion, and then went blank for a few seconds as Lucy stepped back into control. "I don't like it," Lucy said bluntly. "We are more powerful together than separately." Akira noticed the change, along with everyone else present.

"And so you are, Lucy," Akira agreed. "But I have a wild card I'm fixing to play here. Kohta has no military experience. I, on the other hand, have eighty-seven years of it first-hand. The sands in my glass are about out. Kohta has offered me the final rites. When I do this, all my knowledge, power, and military skill will become his own, vastly increasing his power to a level nearly on par with your own, my Queen."

"Ahh, I see what you're doing," Fargo crowed. "Bandoh doesn't know about this. He will think that Kohta's still a novice diclonius hybrid."

"Indeed," Akira stated. "Moreover, Bandoh will not suspect Kohta's power level because when he takes my life and power, he will know exactly how to shield his power level from everyone. Bandoh will not expect this, so when he betrays us, he will have a rude awakening."

"You're laying a trap for Bandoh, aren't you?" Lucy asked.

"That I am, my Queen, and for Yoshitora," Akira stated. "Bandoh will know of the last minute change in team membership. He'll not be able to resist the temptation to spring his trap when you and Kohta are separated. When he does, Lucy, they will take you to Yoshitora. Don't fight them. If what I'm planning works, by time Bandoh springs his trap on Kohta, Kohta will have enough power to sway the lower level diclonius to our side with his very presence. Lower level diclonius will always migrate to the strongest diclonius power in a given area."

Lucy's lips slowly curled into a tight smile as Kohta asked, "How will I do that?"

"Everything you need to know about the plan will be passed on to you when I die," Akira stated. "Up until the time you and Lucy are captured, you must completely hide your essence from everyone. When the capture takes place, just as with Lucy, don't resist them when they take you to Yoshitora. When you get into his presence, then you reveal your power and every diclonius on the island who questions Yoshitora will turn on him, weakening him enough for you and Lucy to separate the Fury from Rayden. But you must work as a team to do this."

"And what will Bandoh do when he finds his plan wrecked?" Lucy asked.

"For the good of everyone, he must die," Akira replied bluntly. "But that is a decision I will leave to you, my Queen. His darkness is something that cannot be allowed to persist in combination with diclonius power."

"I will not kill him unless absolutely necessary," Kohta declared. "There has been far too much killing. It has to stop somewhere."

"I agree," Akira murmured, coughing deeply after speaking. "Like I said, I'll leave it to you and Lucy as to how best to deal with Bandoh. But know you have a strict timeline to do this. You must get in and out with Mayu before the reactor explodes."

"Right," Kohta said, feeling just a little more confident.

"Is there anything else?" Lucy asked coolly.

"One last thing for you, my Queen," Akira whispered, his voice cracking and growing weaker by the minute. "Before you land at the Institute, you need to go to the shrine at the headlands just north of the island. Two royals, Tanya and Dimitri, who were your enemies, have turned to you. They will assist you. Besides, both Bandoh and Yoshitora will not expect you to come in from the north." He coughed, spitting blood into the handkerchief. Looking Lucy in the eye, he said, "I know this is not what you hoped for. But I promise you one thing. If you and Kohta pull this off, you will never be hunted again and our kind will be finally accepted into the human world. Is this not worth the risk? Our only alternative is annihilation of all life on this planet. We cannot let that happen."

Lucy sighed. "I still don't like this. But like everyone else here, it seems I have no choice if I want to live."

"No one here likes this any more than you do," Charlene stated. "But we're all behind you. I believe Akira's plan may have a high probability of success."

"But no plan is flawless," Saito stated. "Everyone must be on their toes and ready to adapt if something goes wrong."

"Agreed," Guildo stated. "We will all be ready to do what we must."

"And I'm sure you will," Akira whispered hoarsely. "But I feel the reaper tapping me on the shoulder. I have one last thing to say before Kohta performs my final rites. Duncan, Kagami, please come here." Duncan and Kagami stepped forward and knelt at Akira's feet. "Duncan, I want you to take care of Kagami for me. I know you've loved her since you first laid eyes on her. She is yours, my son. When I am gone, be there for her and for Lucy and Kohta's family for Kagami is Kohta's cousin."

Gasps escaped the crowd as Duncan touched Akira on the knee. "It will be done, my master. I sincerely appreciate this declaration of love and family. It will be done as you have ordered."

"Okay, it is time," Akira whispered. He offered his hand to Kagami. "You may hold my hand, my daughter as I pass on to Izanami." He saw her tears and said, "Don't cry, princess. I will always be with you."

Turning to Kohta, he nodded. "Okay, Master Kohta. I'm ready." Looking at Lucy, he whispered, "Embrace your choice as he sends me to Izanami, my Queen, to help him disperse the rising Fury in me."

Tears rose in Lucy's eyes. "I want you to know that I see you now as the father I never had. Thank you, old man."

"You're welcome," Akira wheezed. "It's time to do it, Kohta. Do it now."

Kohta knelt down and held Akira's hands with Kagami. Lucy knelt down and wrapped her arms around Kohta while everyone gathered around them to witness the passing of a diclonius giant. Unknown to everyone except Akira, they were about to witness the rise of a new titan. The room became dead silent, as Kohta looked Akira in the eye. Akira nodded as Kohta said, "In accordance with your wishes, I release you, Master Akira Nariko. Go to Izanami and be at peace." Kohta's vectors plunged painlessly into Akira's brain, unhooking his pain receptors while shutting down the vital organs, followed by a severing of the main arteries feeding the brain.

"Thank you, my son," Akira whispered as he felt Kohta shut down his brain. In two seconds, his eyes glazed over, his breath stopped with his heart, and his body went limp. A peaceful look covered his face as grim death took him. Kohta withdrew his vector, and broke into sobs with Kagami. With tears in his eyes, Duncan reached out, closing Akira's eyes with his hand.

"So passes the greatest diclonius to ever walk since Izanami," Fargo said solemnly. "He will be sorely missed." He flashed a formal salute, something everyone standing around did.

Suddenly, a glowing mist began pouring out of Akira's nose and mouth, startling Kohta. Kagami recoiled, backing away. "The transfer is happening. Everyone back up!" When she saw Kohta shaking in fear, letting go of Akira's hand, she said, "It's okay, Kohta. Just accept his gift. Don't fear it."

"She's right," Lucy stated as everyone backed away from her, Kohta, and Akira. "This is what happens when we kill one of our own. I'm here to help."

Kohta felt his courage rise and grabbed Akira's hand again. The glowing mist then seemed to rise out of every part of Akira's body. It started flowing up Kohta's arm, enveloping him as Lucy backed off for a moment, waiting for the right moment to assist.

"Feel his energy, life, knowledge, and power as they enter you," Lucy whispered in Kohta's ear. "Let it fill you from the soles of your feet to the crown of your head."

"It hurts," Kohta growled, feeling the energy flowing into him. "I feel like I'm on fire, just like the time when I first manifested my vectors. God damn this hurts!"

"The more powerful the diclonius, the more it hurts when you absorb their power," Lucy said. "Believe me, I know. That's why I'm here."

Kohta's tears of grief became tears of excruciating pain. The glowing mist flowed into every part of him as it flowed out of Akira's body. Kohta's pain level grew exponentially until he let go of Akira's hand, collapsing on the floor. He curled up in a fetal position, crying hysterically in pain. The glowing mist kept coming from Akira for what seemed like an eternity to him.

Lucy saw the crescendo of the transfer fast approaching. She shouted, "Everyone back away and get down. When the release comes, it's not going to be pretty!" Everyone took cover at the edges of the room, getting down. Lucy saw the last of the mist flow from Akira to Kohta. She sat on the floor and dragged him into her lap, holding him tight.

"Freezing, so cold," Kohta moaned, "but I'm on fire…feel like I'm going to explode!"

"Release the Fury back to where it belongs," Lucy whispered in his ear. "It's like letting go of a rock. Let it go."

Kohta suddenly saw not only every bad thing that had happened to him, but every bad thing to have ever occurred to Akira. He clenched his eyes shut, but he still saw everything. Then he saw every horrible thing that occurred to every diclonius that Akira had dispatched in his 118 years of life. Tears poured from his eyes as a rumble of rage rose from his toes. As the rage was about to overwhelm him, every good thing Akira had done flooded in, showing his love and kindness towards humanity. Then Kohta saw Akira's piece of the Collective as it snapped into the piece given to him with Lucy's blood. Izanami's image fell into his mind. "Release the Fury of Ages and be one with Akira and us," Izanami said.

Kohta's eyes bolted open as he looked at the ceiling. A wailing roar rose from him, followed by a pulse of telekinetic energy that trashed the entire ready room, shaking the Chimera from bow to stern. Lucy held him tight, trying to help him disperse the ages of Fury built up in Akira. In thirty seconds, Kohta's scream subsided to a whimper. He lay in Lucy's arms, completely drained of strength. Fargo and the others approached and circled around him as he looked up into Lucy's maroon eyes. A hint of a smile graced his lips. "I understand now," he whispered.

"Understand what?" Lucy asked.

"Everything," Kohta murmured. "But I'm so tired."

"You should be," Fargo stated, kneeling down next to them and touching Kohta on the arm. "Master Akira was this world's most powerful diclonius until Lucy came along. You just absorbed 118 years of his life in a few minutes. I'm frankly astonished you survived it since you aren't a full-blood diclonius."

Kagami knelt down opposite of Fargo and held Kohta's hand. A smile futilely disguised her grief. "Are you all right, Kohta?" she asked, genuinely concerned for him.

"I don't know," Kohta admitted. "I'm feeling so much weirder than I did when I awakened to my vectors. But I do understand it all now. Your father loved you so much. I know I'd never be able to replace him. But you have a place in our family. We promised him that before everyone gathered. Didn't we, Lucy."

"Yes, Kohta," Lucy said, astonished at the growing power she sensed in Kohta. "We did." She then looked at Kohta, asking, "Were you serious about marrying me, no questions asked?"

"Sure was," Kohta stated, feeling his strength start to rise as Akira's knowledge, memories, power, and skills began to find their optimum position within him. "I want you, in more ways than one. We must be one in order to finish this. Fargo, could you marry us right now, if Lucy is agreeable to it?"

"I can," Fargo said. "But it is up to Lucy. What do you say, my Queen?"

"As much as I'd like to, now is not the time," Lucy admitted. "We have to rescue Mayu and stop Sixty-six. But as soon as we do, yes."

"Fair enough," Kohta said. "God, I'm tired."

"Why don't you take him back to your quarters, Lucy," Kagami suggested. "Let him get rested up for the mission."

"Good idea," Li Mei said. "I'm sure you can help him recharge in time for the mission."

Lucy nodded and rose, using her vectors to support Kohta. "Let us know when to get ready," she ordered.

"We will," Fargo said. "Now go and tend to Kohta. We can handle things here. We'll put Akira's body in the morgue. When we're finished with this sordid business with Yoshitora, we'll give Master Akira the burial he deserves."

"That's good," Kohta called out. "I need to be there when you do it."

"Absolutely, Master Kohta," Fargo stated.

"One last thing," Kohta said. "Akira's plan is not to leave this room. Bandoh is not to know of what transpired here. Is that understood?"

"I think we all can agree on that," Guildo stated. "Now go and rest up. We need you, Master Kohta."

Kohta nodded. Within seconds, Lucy headed out the door and back to their quarters.

When Lucy and Kohta were gone, Fargo asked Guildo, "Have you ever seen anything like that before, Captain?"

"No," Guildo stated. "What we just saw was unprecedented. I believe what we just witnessed was the passing of a giant and the birth of a titan. No human has ever absorbed the essence of a diclonius , much less one of Master Akira's caliber. Something miraculous is happening here, something that may change the fate of our enterprise for the better. Did you feel the power level in Master Kohta after the transfer? I've never felt that kind of power before. It's definitely comparable to the Queen's power."

"No arguments there," Dr. Ravenclaw said. "Master Kohta is something this world has never seen before. The only question is how quickly will he be able to make use of the power Master Akira gave him. Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I must see to our departed friend."

Fargo nodded as Ravenclaw gently used his vectors to carry Akira's body away. Turning to Kagami, Fargo asked, "Are you all right, Kagami? I know how close you were to your father."

Kagami wiped the tears from her eyes before answering. "I will be," she murmured. "It's going to take time. Fortunately, I have good friends who can help me in my time of need."

"You're not angry with Master Kohta for killing him?" Guildo asked bluntly.

"No," Kagami answered. "Kohta merely exercised my father's final wish. I don't hate him for killing my dad since my father was going to die within the hour anyway. I'm at peace with that. But it doesn't make it any easier losing a family member. I'm going to take great relish in watching them destroy that King. He's the reason for my father's death."

"So are we all," Fargo stated categorically, putting a compassionate arm around Kagami. "Together, Lucy and Kohta will finish this madness forever."

"I hope so," Kagami admitted.

A/N: Please forgive me for waiting so long to get this chapter up. I've had a death in the family and been engaged in an archaeology field school for college that took up nearly all my time. But I hope this chapter makes up for the wait.

Akira finally passes the torch to Kohta, giving him the power and ability to take his place and arise as Lucy's true King. Akira also warns of Bandoh's possible treachery and shares his plan to deal with it with the core of the diclonius resistance aboard the Chimera. Will his plan work and catch both Bandoh and the King of Furies off guard, or will they have plans of their own to counter Akira's plot? Moreover, will Kohta be able to utilize the entirety of Akira's skills and knowledge he received in the transfer before they reach the Institute, or will Akira's essence be too much for Kohta to handle? The clock ticks and the storm prepares to break on the Institute and world, a storm that will shake humanity to its foundations. Keep reading to find out if the Bloodstorm will engulf the world, or if Lucy and Kohta can stop an extinction level event of annihilation.

Beowulf Caverias


	26. Chapter 26 Rise of the Queen

Chapter 26

Rise of the Queen

The King of Furies sat on the edge of the Institute's roof, gazing out over the smoldering city of Kamakura on the mainland. A huge smile plastered his face. He felt Akira's death energy the moment of Akira's passing. Susan came out on the roof, seeing his triumphant look.

"What is it?" she asked. "You look supremely pleased by something."

"Oh, it's nothing you need worry with," the King of Furies cackled with glee. "The only possible obstacle to my plan has suddenly removed itself. I can now proceed unfettered by Akira's meddling influences."

"You're not speaking of the legendary Akira Nariko, are you?" she asked.

"I most certainly am," he replied smugly. "I felt his death energy just a few moments ago. He is no longer among the living."

"And that is a good thing for us why?" Susan asked carefully.

The King of Furies refused to let her question dampen his glory. He turned his face to her with a condescending scowl. "Be careful what you ask, Susan," he hissed. "You are in no position to ask such a question. But I'm in such a good mood from this that I'll tell you, just this once. When the traitorous Akira passed, I didn't sense his essence go into any other diclonius, which means his knowledge and experience I will not have to fight in another diclonius. He was the only one of us I know of who had the capability of thwarting my plans. Even if he did manage to escape the Fury and get to Izanami in his last moments, he will not be able to counter my great cause. That is why I'm in such a good mood." His countenance turned dark as the Fury that infested him as he added, "This is the last time I want to hear you question me. Do it again and I'll consume your soul myself and feed your rotting corpse to the worms. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," Susan replied coldly with a bow.

"Now get out of my sight and don't come back unless you have something important to report," the King of Furies growled. "Go!"

Susan fled the King of Furies' presence. "Something weird is going on here," she muttered as the door closed behind her. "I sensed the death energy too, but I also sensed something else…a great power arising connected to Akira's death. Why didn't he sense it as I did? I don't know, but we must be ready for anything. The others must know of this." She picked up her pace, a woman on a mission.

The moment Akira died, Bandoh sat confined to his quarters at Captain Fargo and Lucy's order. Bandoh likewise felt the death energy emanate from Akira. He lapped it up like a starving wolf. But he felt something else too, something powerful and elusive after Akira's death energy dissipated. Moreover, he ceased to sense Kohta at all. This puzzled him. "What's going on?" he muttered. "Where did the little shit go? I can't sense him at all now. Is he dead? I'd better find out."

Banging on the door, he shouted, "Hey, you worthless piece of shit, open up!"

The door opened, revealing a burly diclonius man, his eyes blazing with anger. "What the fuck do you want, Bandoh?"

"I just wanted to know if Kohta is all right, fuck face," Bandoh snarled.

"Master Kohta is just fine. You'll see him again soon enough," the guard hissed. "Now shut the hell up. We have children on this boat, and we can't have your foul mouth offending their ears."

Bandoh stood nose to nose with the guard. "Oh, you are truly asking for it. If I didn't have a promise to keep, I'd cut you down where you stand."

The guard jeered Bandoh. "I'd like to see you try…"

Before the guard could finish his sentence, Bandoh's vector shot out, grabbed the guard by the throat, and slammed him against the bulkhead wall across the corridor three feet off the floor. Bandoh stepped out of his quarters, looking up at the guard, who was turning purple from Bandoh's strangulation of him. "Don't say things you can't back up, piss ant. I was killing people with my bare hands long before you were born."

Suddenly, a vector came out of nowhere, punching Bandoh's pineal gland. The guard crashed to the floor with a thud while Bandoh found himself thrown back into his quarters.

"I knew you were going to be trouble," Guildo hissed, coming around the corner. "We should have left your ass on that beach." Turning to the guard, he asked, "Are you all right, son?"

"Yes sir," the guard wheezed, rubbing his neck. "He caught me off guard."

"It's okay," Guildo reassured. "I'm just glad I happened along." Standing in the door, he said coldly, "Now what the fuck is your problem, Bandoh. You agreed not to attack anyone."

"I felt something strange a few minutes ago," Bandoh stated, staggering to his feet. "I think Akira is dead. But worse than that, I can no longer sense the boy Kohta. I was just trying to find out if he was all right."

"All you had to do was ask politely," the guard retorted. "You never gave me time to do it."

"Why should I be polite to the prick that's treating me like a prisoner?" Bandoh hissed, his anger rising.

Guildo held up his hand to the guard. "Don't say anything else. He's just trying to provoke you. Go tell Phillip I want the guard doubled down here. Then you can go off-duty. You've suffered enough at the hand of this shit."

"Thank you, sir," the guard said gratefully. After a quick salute, he went to inform Phillip of Guildo's new orders.

"Why you son of a…" Bandoh hissed, his rage blossoming. He started moving toward Guildo deliberately.

Guildo turned with a venomous look, snaring Bandoh with his vectors and slamming him against the bulkhead. "Listen to me, you worthless excuse for a man. I will not tolerate this kind of attitude on this ship and neither will Fargo. If I have to, I'll have Dr. Ravenclaw implant you with a neural scrambler to keep you from becoming a problem, and then I'll have you tied up the same way they tied our kind up at the Institute. Make no mistake, you are here only because you know where the girl Mayu is. If you defy our orders one more time before the operation, I will send Lucy in here and let her cut you down. Do I make myself clear?" Bandoh gurgled in Guildo's vector chokehold, nodding yes. Guildo loosened his chokehold, but kept Bandoh pinned. "Well, Bandoh?" he asked.

"Okay, you fucking prick," Bandoh hissed after catching his breath. "You have me over a barrel. But mark my words, you will pay for this. I promise you."

Guildo squeezed with his vectors, making Bandoh's ribs crackle. "Keep your threats to yourself. They mean nothing to me. I was about to tell you what happened, but now, I think I'll leave you in the dark." He tossed Bandoh across the room, against the wall. Bandoh fell in a heap, gasping in pain. "If you so much as touch this door before we come get you, you're dead. Do you hear the words coming out of my mouth?"

Bandoh nodded as he rose to his knees. "Yes," he panted. When Guildo walked out of the room, Bandon called out, "Wait…tell me what happened to Kohta, please."

Hearing the broken tone of in his voice, Guildo turned around, seeing Bandoh crawl onto the bed. His face had a contrite look, as if he realized he'd made a terrible mistake. Softening his countenance and tone, Guildo said, "Kohta is fine, Bandoh. But he's taken an awful shock. Akira died just a half hour ago in front of him. Kohta saw Akira as a father figure. I'm guessing you can't sense Kohta because he's still so weak. Lucy is trying to help him cope with the loss of Akira. Now if you will excuse me, I must get to work. We're less than an hour away from the Institute, and the teams must be assembled. I will send someone to come get you when we're ready to go. Now just fucking relax. This will be over soon, and you'll not have to see any of our faces ever again."

"About fucking time," Bandoh growled. "I'll be ready."

"Good," Guildo stated. He turned and left, closing the door behind him and locking it.

Bandoh listened to the Guildo's muffled voice on the other side of the door talking to the two new guards. Scowling, Bandoh lay back on the bunk and brooded. "You will pay. All of you will pay for this, even if I have to spend the rest of my life hunting you down."

In Lucy and Kohta's quarters, Lucy sat on the bed, her back to the head of the bed. She had her arms wrapped around Kohta as he lay in her lap, leaning against her chest. He fluttered in an out of consciousness, jerking reflexively every so often and moaning softly. Abruptly, Kohta opened his eyes as Akira's essence finally settled into its proper place. Lucy noticed Kohta's eyes unusually focused for him. "Is there's something wrong, Kohta?" she asked, sensing an explosion in Kohta's diclonius power as a hybrid.

He sat up, turning to her. A broad smile crossed his lips as he looked at her, giving her pause. "Why are you looking at me like that, Kohta?" she asked. "It makes me want to cover my neck."

He took her hand in his and kissed it gently. "Nothing is wrong, Lucy," Kohta answered. "Akira's essence has finally settled itself, empowering me to levels I never thought possible. I know you can feel it. What Akira said would happen has happened. I now know what he knew, and I'm master of every skill he mastered. We are now one. I have become the General he was. I also know what to do."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, sensing an incredible confidence emanating from Kohta she'd never felt before.

"Before he died, he said it was time for you to merge your personalities," Kohta explained. "We must cement your fractured personalities together into a cohesive unit before we go after Mayu and the King of Furies. If we don't, we'll not be able to take him." He knelt in front of her on the bed, grasping both her hands while looking her in the eye. "Lucy…let me help you heal yourself. I can help, now that I know what Akira knew. He showed me what we must do. Please, let's solve this problem now."

Lucy's eyes grew wide as fear suddenly gripped her. "I…I don't know if I can," she stammered. "I really want to, but I have grown attached to Kaeda and even Nyu. I don't want to lose them."

"You will never lose them," Kohta reassured. "They are a part of you that can never be separated from you. But don't take my word for it. Ask them what they want. What I'm proposing is not an elimination of them, but a merging of them with you."

"But I'm afraid," Lucy admitted. "How can you help me do what I've been trying to do since I escaped from the Institute?"

Kohta gazed lovingly into her eyes, and then kissed her gently on the lips as a genuine lover. She tried to retreat, but could not. He wrapped his arms and vectors around her in a passionate, loving embrace. She felt Kohta's vectors coiling around them both, pulsing with warm, vibrant life, unlike every other vector she'd encountered before, including hers. The icy casing of her heart cracked, and then shatter, revealing her wounded core. The world vanished from their eyes, and they found themselves standing at the timeless edge of the Collective with Izanami looking on from within. Kaeda, Nyu, and Dark Lucy stood with them. The plain around the Collective was aflame with the corpses of countless diclonius piled in burning, decaying heaps to the horizon. The dark Fury pushed against the sides of the collective, stretching it out of shape as it tried to escape. Nyu hid her face in Kaeda's chest as Kaeda looked around in severe disgust. Lucy and Kohta stared in horror and disbelief at the apocalyptic scene before them. Even Dark Lucy recoiled in distaste at the scene. "Oh, this isn't right," Dark Lucy growled. "It was never meant to go to this level."

"I must agree with you," Kaeda stated. "Now do you see why we must work together to stop this?"

"Yes," Dark Lucy growled. "The King has gone too far. The only question I have is whether Kohta will come through like he promised, or betray us yet again to save his own ass."

Lucy turned on Dark Lucy, lashing out with her fist. Kohta restrained her. "Don't, Lucy," he said coolly. "It's a legitimate question that must be answered." Lucy scowled, backing down as Kohta stepped up to Dark Lucy. "Even though it is a legitimate question, it's stupid for you to have brought it up," Kohta hissed, staring Dark Lucy in the eye. "I am here, with you, am I not? Have I not thrown my lot in with you, Lucy, Kaeda, and Nyu? Have I not embraced what it is to be one of you? My place is with Lucy, and the rest of you. If you still doubt my loyalty to you, consider this. I killed Akira and absorbed his essence as any diclonius would, but not by my choice. The choice was his. With that one act, I, a mere human, became one of you with power you can't even comprehend. Akira was not just the General of the Diclonius Special Forces, he was a direct descendant of Izanami. Only one person was to be stronger than he was, and that is the true Queen, Lucy. Whether you like it or not, I have a stake in staying loyal to Lucy, and you. We're facing an extinction level event with the King. I want to live, and so does Lucy, Kaeda, and Nyu. We must work together or the King will win. I am not interested in being the King of all Diclonius, as Akira suggested. I just want to spend my life with Lucy. And if that entails us saving the world, so be it. You know very well that you must surrender to Lucy's will. Lucy is your inception, your Izanami. It's time for you to return to her."

Dark Lucy's patchwork face twisted into a rage. "How dare you lecture me, you fucking prick! I should kill you right now for that outrage."

Akira's demeanor surfaced in Kohta's features. "Oh, that would be so unwise," Kohta said coolly. "I don't want to fight you, but you have consistently hampered Lucy's path toward wholeness. It's time for you to choose sides. You are either with us, or against us."

Dark Lucy's vectors sprang out in a vicious display, intending to frighten Kohta. A wry smile crossed Kohta's face. "Is that all you have, little Fury?" he chided. "You have no idea what Akira gave me, and what I am now."

"Why you little shit!" Dark Lucy snarled. "I'll cut you down for that. I'm the most powerful diclonius there is!"

Lucy scowled, and was about to open her mouth when Nyu threw herself between Dark Lucy and Kohta. "No fight, Kohta. No fight, please," Nyu begged of Dark Lucy. "I know you love Kohta. Please no fight Kohta. He loves you too."

Dark Lucy snapped her vectors, pushing Nyu aside roughly. "Out of my way, brat!" Dark Lucy shouted.

Kohta's face fell at the attack on Nyu. Two of his vectors snatched Nyu out of the air, sitting her down gently. "You shouldn't have done that, Fury," Kohta said coldly. "Nyu knows we can't fight each other."

"She's an imbecile," Dark Lucy retorted venomously.

"Not so," Kaeda called out. "She has a much better grasp of the situation than you think."

"Shut up, bitch," Dark Lucy answered. "This is between me and Kohta."

"Okay," Kohta replied calmly. "I tried to do this the easy way. If you want to kill me, go ahead. Let's see what you've got."

"No Kohta!" Lucy shouted. "She'll kill you."

Turning a confident smile to Lucy, he said, "Trust me, Lucy. I'll not hurt her…much. She has to learn her limits and her place. Unless all of you get together with you in charge, we'll not be able to match the King."

Turning his attention to Dark Lucy, he beckoned with his hands. "Come on, little Fury. Have at me, if you dare," Kohta challenged.

Dark Lucy screamed and attacked with all ten of her vectors. Kohta blocked her vector assault effortlessly with all the skill of Akira, and then smacked her hard with a vector, sending her flying close to the Collective. Dark Lucy landed with a grunt, stunned by Kohta's power. Kohta's eyes suddenly widened with horror as the Collective turned black next to Dark Lucy. Black tendrils shot from the wall of the Collective and up from the ground beneath Dark Lucy's feet, snaring her.

"What the fuck?" Dark Lucy cursed. When it became apparent that the Fury inside the Collective was trying to consume her, she shrieked, "Help me, please!"

Kaeda, Nyu, and Lucy moved to help, but stopped when more tendrils attacked them. They escaped the slimy tentacles as Dark Lucy found herself dragged toward the Collective's shimmering wall. A ghostly skull with flaming eyes and long horns appeared inside the Fury Collective, grinning wickedly.

Kohta looked at Izanami, who nodded and pointed to Dark Lucy. Without a word, Kohta accessed Akira's vast power, springing into action, sending forth a flood of a hundred vectors that cut Dark Lucy free from the black tentacles of the Fury, pulling her to safety. The Skull roared, shaking the plane around the Collective with its fury at the loss of its victim. Kohta sat Dark Lucy down gently in front of him, reaching out to steady her with his hand. She stared at Kohta in stupefied astonishment. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"How dare you take what is mine, human maggot!" the Skull roared. "No one robs me of my prize. Now I take you too!" The fiend sent out a massive tentacle that became a giant vector arm fifteen feet in diameter. It reached out of the Collective with Kohta and Dark Lucy as their targets.

"Watch out, Kohta!" Lucy and Kaeda shouted in unison, plunging into battle to save Kohta. They futilely attacked the massive arm with their vectors. A piece of the giant vector split off and snared both Lucy and Kaeda in seconds.

"Stupid bitches," the Skull rumbled. "You cannot stop me with your puny abilities!"

"Lucy, Kaeda, no!" Nyu cried, rushing forward to help. Luminescent vectors sprang from Nyu's back for the first time, successfully cutting Lucy and Kaeda loose, throwing them out of reach of the giant vector arm. The Skull screamed in fury and pain.

"You're dead, you infantile bitch!" it raved, lashing out to destroy Nyu.

Kohta never hesitated. He rushed to Nyu's side and put his arms around her. "Not today, Fury!" Kohta retorted as the giant fist of the Skull's vector arm came down on top of them.

"No!" Lucy and Kaeda cried in horror. "Kohta, Nyu!"

Dark Lucy stared in disbelief at Kohta's selfless act.

The black mass of the truck-sized vector fist seemed to crush Kohta and Nyu out of existence when it smacked the ground, shaking the whole area. "They were no match for me," the Skull crowed triumphantly. "Now you bitches are next!"

Suddenly, a flash of light penetrated the giant fist in dozens of locations. The Skull shrieked in pain as hundreds of luminescent vectors cut the fist and vector arm to pieces back to the wrist. The fist dissipated as smoke in the wind, revealing Kohta and Nyu protected inside a vector shield of brilliant, shining vectors. As the giant vector arm pulled back to the Collective's Wall, Kohta shouted, "Oh no you don't!" He lashed out with his vectors, slicing off the arm at the wall. The arm dropped to the ground outside of the Collective and slowly melted, revealing scores of diclonius in the throes of perpetual death agonies. Kohta saw this and exploded in righteous indignation.

"This stops here and now!" he shrieked. A new form of rage and fury formed within Kohta…that of Izanami. Stabbing an accusing finger at the Skull, Kohta roared, "Your days are numbered, Fury! Lucy and I are going to separate you from Rayden and send you back into the pit with your brethren and seal that gate forever so you never plague this planet again. This is inhuman. I'll tear your rotten heart out and burn it to ashes for this injustice! Souls are not just a viral contagion to be exterminated from the universe!"

Nyu fled Kohta's anger, going back to Lucy and Kaeda. "No, no," Kaeda breathed. "Kohta must not attack the Collective directly, Lucy. He has the power to rupture it and release the Fury. That's what it wants."

"Insignificant insect," the Skull taunted. "You are no match for the Fury of the entire diclonius race. I'll absorb you and give you an eternity of suffering unlike anything you can imagine. I am the end of all things. I am Fury! You cannot stop the inevitable."

Kohta's eyes turned crimson with rage. "Says you," he retorted. "All my life I've been a victim. No longer. Your 1700 year reign of terror ends here and now!"

"Nyu, go tame Kohta's rage," Kaeda ordered urgently. "Only you and your purity can save him now. Go and hurry."

Nyu's love for Kohta overrode her fear of his rage and she rushed to him, throwing her arms around him. "No fight monster, Kohta. No fight it, please. You already beat it. I love you. Please stop."

Kohta heard Nyu's plea and gasped. His rage melted as she hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Nyu. You saved me from making a terrible mistake."

Nyu's face beamed and she led Kohta back to the others.

"Just as I thought," the Skull taunted. "You're all talk, and don't have the power to back up your words. You're just a human vermin after all."

Kohta turned and pointed his index finger at the Skull. "On the contrary, it is you who is beat. Our humanity has overpowered you. You will sit there and watch while we heal the Queen's fractured personality. Once she's whole, your ass is grass and we're the lawnmower."

The Skull raged, issuing forth a flood of curses before melting back into the Collective, retreating, and allowing Izanami to take its place.

Lucy threw herself into Kohta's arms. He embraced her gently. "I'm sorry I scared you like that," he said softly. "But I had to do something. I couldn't let that thing destroy Nyu and take her piece. It belongs to you."

"You've become quite a powerful diclonius warrior," Kaeda congratulated. "Do you realize that you're the first to ever confront the Fury like that since Izanami?"

"I didn't know that," Kohta said humbly. "But I do know that I almost lost myself in that rage. Whose idea was it to send in Nyu to get me out of that funk?"

"It was Kaeda's idea," Lucy admitted. "I can see now how each of you are part of me."

"That they are," Kohta crowed, "…even your dark half. Do you understand why you guys need to get together and stay together? It was only with Nyu's purity and help that we stopped that assault. So you see, even Nyu is a valuable piece of your puzzle." He turned to Dark Lucy, who stared in fearful wonder, trembling. "What say you, little Fury? Am I going to betray you now that you've seen me in action?"

"You…you saved me. But not just me, all of us," she stammered. "Why? I would have let you die."

"I saved you because you are Lucy," Kohta answered plainly. "I couldn't let you die when I possessed the means to stop it, even though you killed my parents and want me dead. Do you still want me dead? Do you now think I'll betray you?"

Dark Lucy looked down at the corpse-strewn ground, avoiding Kohta's gaze. "Well?" Kohta asked again.

"Answer him," Lucy demanded. "He saved your ass and ours, and you damned well know it. Stop fighting us and help us."

Kohta reached out, taking Dark Lucy's hand. "You don't have to love me, or even like me. But don't hate me just because I'm a human. All I ask is that you respect Lucy's wishes about me. That's all. In fact, I don't hate you. You're just misguided. That's all. I suspect that is why we are here outside the Collective and not inside it. Izanami wants you, Lucy, Kaeda, and Nyu to link back together without the help of the Collective. Each of you is a piece of Lucy's piece. She needs you to return to her as every diclonius eventually returns to Izanami. Please, let go of your hate for life. Show Lucy you are more than just a vile temper. Show her that you are the arm of Justice she will use at her discretion. Lucy will not reject you if you respect her."

"But you don't understand the power of the Fury," Dark Lucy said softly. "It's a poison that infects us all, a poison that will not be stopped."

"That's what it wants you to think," Kaeda said. "It's okay to be angry. But to turn that anger into hate against the innocent isn't right. That's what the Fury is all about. You know that better than any of us."

"True," Dark Lucy answered. "It may be that I've been deceived all this time. When the Fury tried to consume me just now, I felt something completely alien compelling it. It's not human, and it's certainly not diclonius. I don't know how to explain it. It's like chaos has become personified somehow. It's only thought is to destroy all life so it can release its brethren from the dark dimension it came from."

"I can see that now," Kohta agreed. "I felt the same thing when I cut you free, and when it attacked Nyu and me. Only Izanami's light, Nyu's purity, Akira's skill and strength, and my humanity gave me the power to cut you loose. But I'll be the first to admit that whatever lies inside the Fury, it's far more powerful than me alone. Only together with Izanami will we be able to stop it."

Nyu suddenly pulled on Kohta's arm, pointing insistently to Izanami. "Kohta, Nyu go to bright Lucy. Kohta go to bright Lucy. We go now."

Kohta paused, looking toward the Collective. Izanami had cleared the Fury from the area and was beckoning. "I think we must do as Nyu says," Kohta stated. "Come on, Lucy, Kaeda, Fury, we must go to Izanami."

Nyu pulled Kohta along by the arm until they were standing in front of the Collective with Izanami standing on the other side. "Very well done, all of you," Izanami declared. "But the fight is far from over. You caught the Fury by surprise. It will not underestimate you again. The final battle will be here within the Collective. But you cannot enter here until you are whole, Lucy. It's time for you to piece together your fractured personality. Gather your pieces and draw them in."

"How?" Lucy asked, mystified as to how to do it.

"You have become attached to your diverse personalities, Lucy," Izanami stated. "You fear merging will cause Kaeda and Nyu to vanish forever. That is not the case. As Kohta said, Kaeda, Nyu, and Fury are pieces of your piece of the Collective. Before you can enter now, all of your pieces must be secured into a whole being. They will not disappear when you fit them back into place. They will fulfill you, giving you their power and abilities. They will always be with you and you'll be able to converse with them at any time. But you will be in control, Lucy. You have always been the control piece."

"Izanami is right," Kaeda said. "You have always been the control piece, Lucy. By absorbing us, you will not lose us, but gain everything we are, just as Kohta gained Master Akira's essence and abilities. It is something you must do. I'm willing to do it, and so is Nyu. Aren't you, Nyu?"

"Nyu do it. Nyu will do it," Nyu chimed happily. "I make Lucy happy, and we get to be with Kohta forever."

"That leaves only you, Fury," Kohta said to Dark Lucy. "Will you willingly merge with Lucy to become her right hand of vengeance when called for?"

"What about your piece?" Dark Lucy asked Kohta. "Will you merge too with her?"

"I am her servant, lover, and King," Kohta declared. "Whatever she wants of me I will give, as long as we are together, even my very life."

An inky darkness descended upon the plain, seemingly flowing from the Fury. In seconds, the charred corpses of the dead diclonii became infused with pure Fury from the Collective. The dead rose, chanting "Kill the Queen, Kill the Queen." The zombie diclonii advanced on them as Kohta put up a vector shield around them.

"You must hurry," Izanami urged. "Your battle with the Skull fiend has weakened the Collective's wall. Cracks are starting to form in it, allowing the Fury to animate these corpses. Kohta can only hold them back for so long. Make the choice and heal yourself, Lucy."

The shrieks and groans of undead diclonii disintegrating at the edge of Kohta's shield added to the tension. "Any time, Fury," Kohta said urgently as the zombies attacked with vectors of pure fury.

"Make the choice!" Lucy demanded of Dark Lucy. "If you don't, I will, and it will be without you."

Dark Lucy looked around at the situation as it deteriorated. "Very well," she acquiesced. "You win, Lucy. I'll do it. Just let me have a little fun once in a while."

"I think that can be arranged," Kaeda stated.

"Okay, what now?" Lucy asked Izanami.

"You must draw them into you with your vectors, Lucy," Izanami stated. "Touch their pineal glands and hold them, then create a resonance wave in your vector to match up with their individual vector waves. This will cause them to merge with your vectors and become a permanent part of you."

"It sounds difficult," Lucy complained.

"It's not," Izanami replied. "Just do it by instinct. When you link to them with your vectors, they will match your frequency and merge, same as if you were absorbing a fallen friend's essence."

"Not to be a kill joy, but could you guys hurry up?" Kohta growled. "Holding back this zombie horde is getting very difficult."

"I have an idea," Kaeda said. "To make this easier, let's have a group hug with Lucy at the center. Then she can feel our pieces in close proximity to hers and act by instinct."

"Do it," Lucy ordered. Kaeda, Nyu, and Dark Lucy surrounded Lucy with Nyu in front, Kaeda on the right and Dark Lucy on the left. "I hope you're right about me not losing you, Kaeda," Lucy murmured.

"Just do it," Dark Lucy snapped.

Lucy galvanized her resolve as she saw Kohta visibly struggling to keep the shield up. "Come to me, my pieces and be one with me," Lucy said without thinking. She sent a single vector into each piece of her fractured personality. Nyu, Kaeda, and Dark Lucy suddenly became like ghosts, their forms slowly vanishing in a mist that flowed into Lucy via her vectors.

"You will never lose us," Kaeda said as she vanished, merging with Lucy.

"Nyu and Lucy love Kohta forever!" Nyu chimed as she disappeared into Lucy.

"Make the King pay for his treachery, Lucy," Dark Lucy hissed, becoming one with the Queen of all Diclonius.

Lucy clenched herself with her arms, drawing her vectors in when the three personality fragments vanished. Closing her eyes, tears ran down her cheeks as she relived every piece of each personality's life. She became lost in a glowing ball of white light as she felt Nyu's piece snap into place. Suddenly, life became much more precious and worthwhile. Kaeda's piece fell into place and Lucy cried like a little girl, knowing the power of a mother's love for the first time in her life along with the vast knowledge Kaeda possessed as her link to the Collective. Finally, Dark Lucy's piece snapped into position. Lucy felt a surge of terrible power linked with the desire to execute swift justice on all evil-doers. Lucy screamed at the top of her lungs, sending out a devastating pulse of telekinetic energy. It passed harmlessly by Kohta, but plowed into the zombie horde, disintegrating them and every piece of Fury outside the Collective all the way to the horizon. When the scream ceased, she dropped to her knees, sobbing deeply. Kohta rushed to her side and put his arms around her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sensing her final consolidation as the Queen. She latched onto him and cried. He held her for a few moments, just being there for emotional support.

"Lucy, it's time to come into the Collective," Izanami declared. "Please hurry for the Fury is regrouping."

Lucy wiped her eyes as rose to her feet with Kohta's help. "How do I get in?" she asked.

"Just touch the wall and enter, my daughter," Izanami instructed. "You will need to hold Kohta's hand to bring him in, just like the last time."

She nodded, grabbing Kohta's hand while touching the Collective with the other. The power of the Collective surged through her, empowering her, but not overwhelming her. Closing her eyes, she walked through the wall into the Collective for the first time under her own power, pulling Kohta along with her.

"You may open your eyes, my daughter," Izanami said sweetly. Lucy opened her eyes, finding herself on the same platform where Izanami and Rayden's parents were buried. Izanami pulled Lucy into a motherly embrace, crowing, "Welcome home, my Queen. Everything I have is now at your disposal."

Lucy enjoyed the love and life she felt from Izanami. "Thank you," Lucy murmured. "But we must save Mayu. Do you have any thoughts on how to do that?"

"Follow the plans Akira helped devise," Izanami stated. "It was my plan from the beginning. Also, keep your power cloaked from the King of Furies until you are ready to spring your trap. Make him think he has the upper hand when he doesn't. Use his own arrogance and evil against him."

"What about Bandoh?" Kohta asked.

"You are wise to be concerned about him," Izanami stated. "His position in this can go either way. I don't know which path he will take. But you must follow your instincts about him. Be prepared for the worst and you will not be caught by surprise. Now it's time for you to go." Izanami walked to the large sword stuck in the stone between her parent's graves. She pulled it out and presented it to Lucy. "Take this, my Queen. It's the sword of my power. Use it wisely to stop this annihilation and set the balance right again." Lucy accepted the sword without a word, completely surprised by the gift. Izanami then went to her father's sarcophagus and opened it. She pulled out a long katana and closed the lid. Walking to Kohta, she presented the katana to him. "Kohta, this is the sword of my father, Mamoru, and thus belonged to my brother Rayden before he turned to Fury. It possesses the power, military prowess, and rage of the entire diclonius race. Wield it carefully, for this blade has the power to slay the Fury or release it upon the world."

An all too human chill raced down Kohta's spine at Izanami's words. Accepting the blade, he said, "I understand, Izanami. I will use this blade only in defense of life to put down the fiend that is bent upon our destruction. Once our foe is vanquished, I shall return it to your father's capable hands. I do not want to have that kind of power any longer than I must."

"Well spoken," Izanami declared. "You keenly understand the power of this blade. It shows that Lucy chose well for you to be her King. Now it's time for you and her to go. Take the power I have shared with you into the human world and rid it of the Fury forever. When you have destroyed the King of Furies' physical body, pursue him back here to the Collective where I will be waiting. Together, we shall go into his domain and end this imbalance forever. Go, my son and daughter, save your family and the rest of humanity from annihilation." Izanami clapped her hands, creating a flash of light that blinded Lucy and Kohta temporarily. When their vision returned, they realized they were lying on the bed in their quarters on the Chimera, tangled in a passionate embrace of arms and vectors.

Lucy blinked, seeing Kohta lying almost on top of her with a smile on his face. "How do you feel, Lucy?" he asked softly.

Lucy considered the question for a moment, and then said, "Strange. For the first time in my life, I feel whole and not afraid." She stared into Kohta's eyes, seeing the incredible power within him brought on by her blood and his merging with Akira's essence. A warm smile crossed her lips. "You really love me, don't you?"

"Yes," Kohta answered. "I cannot live without you now."

"Then love me as my lover, my precious King," she crowed, wanting the full connection with Kohta, pulling him down on her.

"I thought you'd never ask," Kohta beamed with delight.

A/N: The King of Furies thinks he's unstoppable now that Akira's gone. But he doesn't realize that Lucy has finally healed her fractured personality with Kohta's help. Not only has Lucy healed herself, but she and Kohta have become true lovers, cementing the link between them with love, not just blood and tragedy. Moreover, Kohta's absorption of Akira's essence has amplified his power as a hybrid hundreds of times, making him the General of the Diclonius Special forces. He also stopped a direct attack of the Fury from the Collective with Nyu's help. The pieces have moved into place and the game is about to conclude. Will Lucy and Kohta be able to checkmate the King of Furies, rescue Mayu, and set the Collective back into balance, or will they be the last victims of Fury unleashed in a bloodstorm of epic proportions, Chaos in the flesh? We shall see. Read on to find out.

Beowulf Caverias


	27. Chapter 27 Eve of Destruction

Chapter 27

Eve of Destruction

Lucy and Kohta lay arm in arm on the bed, cuddled against each other. "How do you feel, Lucy?" Kohta asked softly.

"I feel so alive," Lucy chimed. "I've never felt this way before, and I love it. It astounds me that in the midst of all the death and destruction around us that I can feel so loved. I love you, Kohta. I always have. I'm sorry for…"

Kohta put his finger to her lips. "Don't…it's not needed. I forgave you long ago, and what you've done for me since has far surpassed what you did to me that terrible day. I love you, Lucy, just as you are with all your flaws. It helps to make you you. I just hope that we are now strong enough to stop this madness."

"Me too," Lucy agreed.

Just then, a knock came to the door. "Who is it?" Lucy called out.

"Captain Fargo," Fargo answered. "May I come in?"

"Just a moment," Lucy replied. Turning to Kohta with a kiss, she said, "I guess it's time we finished this."

"Yes," Kohta agreed. "Let's do it." They rose and dressed. Once dressed, Kohta opened the door. "What can we do for you, Captain?"

Fargo stepped into the room after Kohta stepped aside. He looked closely at Lucy and Kohta, noticing a marked change in their demeanors. "Are you all right, my queen?" he asked.

Lucy stood. "Yes, Captain. I'm ready to finish this sordid business."

A smile crossed his face as he sensed Lucy's consolidation. "You did it. You healed yourself, didn't you?" Fargo asked.

"Well, with a little help from Kohta, but yes," Lucy replied. "I'm ready to take it to the King."

"Well then, wait no longer," Fargo crowed. "We are the rendezvous point just offshore of the Institute, and the teams are assembled with two hours to spare. We're just waiting for you and Master Kohta."

"Then let's do it," Kohta chimed.

As Fargo led them to the skiffs in the docking bay, he said, "My Queen, you should keep your power levels cloaked as we approach the Institute so we don't tip off the King. And Master Kohta should do the same."

"Don't worry," Lucy answered. "I plan on only letting that prick sense the power level that I was at, not what I am now. When we find him, he'll learn what true fury is."

"If you're worried that we'll tip our hand too soon, put it out of your head, Captain," Kohta reassured. "He will not know of our plot until it's too late for him to stop it."

"Good," Fargo stated. "But don't waste any time. In two hours, this part of Japan will disappear with the Institute. Be sure you have Mayu and yourselves off the island before then."

"Got it," Kohta said, giving thumbs up. "The only one who dies today is that maniac."

On the way to the docking bay, Fargo's communicator beeped, and he answered it, "What is it? It better be important."

"It's very important," Ron's voice replied. "The President of the United States is in contact with us, urgently wanting to speak to you."

"We haven't time for this," Lucy growled.

"How did he get our frequency, Ron?" Fargo asked.

"Samuel Wallace gave it to him, apparently after saving his life from a military coup at Mt. Weather," Ron answered.

"Sam saved his human ass?" Fargo queried.

"Yes sir," Ron said. "In fact, Sam is with him as I speak."

"This sounds important," Kohta murmured. "Maybe we should hear him out."

"I guess you're right," Fargo acquiesced. "But we can't take too long. The clock is ticking." Speaking to Ron, he said, "I'll take it in my ready room, Ron."

"Yes sir," Ron answered. "I'll patch it through and have the connection ready by time you get there."

"This better not take long," Lucy hissed. "If this causes us to lose Mayu, you're next. Do I make myself clear, captain?"

"Absolutely, my queen," Fargo said. "Come, quickly now."

Two minutes later in the Fargo's ready room, Ron sat at the control panel while Fargo, Lucy, and Kohta looked at a holographic image of the President of the United States sitting at a plain desk with a computer monitor off to one side of the desk. Samuel Wallace stood to his left with an American flag hanging on the wall behind him. To his right stood the Admiral of the 7th Fleet and one plain-looking man in fatigues. The President's face betrayed deep weariness and concern mingled with anger.

Fargo looked at Ron, who nodded. "The connection is open and secure, Captain," Ron announced.

"Are you Captain Fargo of the SHIVA flagship, Chimera?" the President asked politely, his tone just a bit cool and businesslike.

"Yes, Mr. President," Fargo replied formally. "I am. I don't like to be rude, but we are seriously pressed for time. Our mission is moving into its final stage, and we must leave for the Institute in a few minutes. So could you quickly come to the point? We don't have time for friendly chit chat. Billions of lives are on the line."

"So Samuel's intelligence is accurate," the President surmised. "You really do have the Queen and a plan for dealing with the diclonius civil war."

"We do," Fargo answered coolly. "But we'll fail in that plan if we are delayed. What do you want, Mr. President?"

"Can you really stop this insanity?" the President queried.

"Not if you keep flapping your gums," Lucy growled. "What do you want of us?"

"You must be Lucy," the President replied. "You're so young. Yet I can see great grief and anger on your face."

"And why shouldn't I be angry?" she retorted. "I just had to kill one of my own kind to save my friends here not just six hours ago, a man who saved our lives about two months ago. All you humans had to do was leave us alone. Now you're paying for it in blood compounded on blood."

"Are you going to all this to continue?" the President asked.

Lucy sighed, staring coldly at the holographic President. "No," she finally said. "I'm not. What you don't seem to understand is that this problem is more than just my kind killing humans. It's about life itself. The poison, which has been our bane for over a thousand years has escaped our collective mind and is loose in your world. It means to destroy us all: human and diclonius alike. You should pay very close attention to your people, Mr. President. They will soon go stark raving mad just like they did here in Japan, and turn on each other if I can't get to the Institute and stop this. I have to destroy this contagion at the source. Otherwise, we're all rotting meat in the street."

"I sense a deep resentment of us coming from you," the President said coolly. "But I also see a weariness of conflict, and a desire for life and peace. I don't understand what is happening, but you have swayed my opinion in your favor, your majesty. You're serious about wanting to live in peace with us?"

"Yes," Lucy replied. "Just leave us alone. That's all I ask. I'm tired of the constant strife and war with humans and my own dark heart."

"Then you will have what you want," the President said. "We will accept your kind and treat them as real people, not monsters. I knew those guys who said that your kind were unwilling to live in peace with us were lying. I'll personally make sure that the people who hi-jacked SHIVA and ARGUS for their own personal vendetta will pay for their treason against both our kinds. I speak not just for our people but the people of the world, those who are still in contact with me. We want peace."

"I appreciate the gesture," Lucy replied. "But don't be surprised when they do not go quietly. Theirs is a hatred that spans generation."

"We will deal with those who violate our covenant," the President said. "I hope and pray when this crisis is over that you will help to keep your people from violating our covenant as well."

A wry smile curled Lucy's lips. "We shall see, Mr. President. Let's first get this situation under control. My advice to you is until I have taken out the King, you need to keep all human away from us. I'll not hold you accountable if you use excessive force in defense of your people. But if you go out of your way to destroy us when we are not attacking, then I will consider that a breach of this agreement, and those who do so are subject to my justice. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes, your majesty," the President said, trembling slightly. "I understand perfectly. There will be no retaliatory strikes against your kind. One last question, if you would, your majesty."

Irritation lit Lucy's face. "What is it?"

"You have no intention of ruling over us, do you?" the President asked carefully. "I ask this only to quell the concerns of the people. They deeply fear that you'll become a ruthless dictator over us humans."

A deep troubled sigh hissed from her lips. "How many times do I have to say it?" she growled. "No…I don't want to rule over anyone. I just want to be left alone to live in peace with my friends and family. And as long as I live, I will make sure the rest of my kind don't abuse their power. All we ever wanted was to live in peace and not be rejected, ridiculed, and persecuted because of who and what we are."

"Do I have your word on that?" the President asked.

"Yes," Lucy returned coldly. "Now if you would please leave us alone, we have a world to salvage."

"I understand, your majesty," the President replied. "Captain Fargo, you have the backing of the people of the US and the world. What do you need to help stop this calamity?"

"Oh you finally get around to what you want," Kohta sneered. "While you're wasting our time, Mayu's peril gets even worse. We don't have time for this shit. We need to get Mayu and kill that son of a bitch who took her before he kills her and the rest of us."

"Forgive me…Master Kohta," the President apologized after briefly looking at his file. "I needed to hear directly from your Queen what her intentions are. I'm aware of your difficulties because your difficulties have become mine."

"What do you mean?" Fargo asked.

"I know ARGUS and SHIVA betrayed you, as I said earlier," the President answered showing some anger in his tone. "Your man Samuel showed me the depths of their betrayal of you. But it goes further than that. SHIVA has poisoned my own administration. They launched a coup attempt, trying to kill me so they could use the US military as a weapon to destroy the diclonius race, mostly likely with our nuclear assets. Apparently, they did the same thing in Japan. However, I survived the attempt with the assistance of Samuel, for which I'm eternally grateful. Since that attack, I have gathered my supporters in the military, intelligence, and corporate circles to counter this coup attempt. I still have enough support in the government and amongst the people to put a stop to their plots here. But I cannot help but wonder what I can do to help you there. Did they wipe out the Japanese government leadership who resisted their genocide plan?"

"No," Fargo answered. "Emperor Watanabe survived their assassination attempt, along with Saito Murata, who was the head intelligence officer at ARGUS. Both are on this ship. You asked what you could do. For one, you could keep those genocidal humans off of us long enough to get this job done."

As Fargo spoke, Akira's wisdom prompted Kohta and he acted. "Captain Fargo," Kohta said, breaking into the conversation. "Since it's apparent the President is on our side, I think sending him a copy of what Suko found is in order. He has the capability of finding those who are responsible and bringing them to justice. The Lazarus file has a record of everyone involved in this crime against humanity."

"An excellent idea, Master Kohta," Fargo replied. "Mr. President, we have in our possession damning evidence about the atrocities perpetrated on the diclonius at the Institute for Diclonius Research in Kamakura. This entire cluster-fuck happened because Director Kakuzawa was engaged in illegal and unethical experimentation on diclonius here in Japan. The file includes all his contacts worldwide. They are just as responsible for this as he is. I think you should have it so justice can be served. We will deal with the rogue diclonius involved in this. You need to use your power to bring the humans who were behind this madness to justice."

"I've heard rumors about the Institute," the President stated. "Send a copy to me, but keep the original just in case something happens here on this end. We are talking about tangling with people who play nations against each other like chess pieces. It's time we stop this and ended their games."

"I agree," Fargo replied, going to his desk and opening a locked drawer. He retrieved the disk and handed it to Ron. "Send the files now, Ron."

"Yes sir," Ron replied, taking the disk. He put it into the computer drive. It hummed for a few seconds as his fingers danced over the terminal's console. "It's on its way," he declared, removing the disk from the computer. "It should be there in moments, Mr. President."

The President turned and looked at the computer screen on his desk. "I see it," he said, briefly scanning the file. His face turned grim and a gasp escaped. "Dear god," he breathed in horror. "This is inhuman! I'm all over this. I don't care who these fucking bastards are, but they're going to be brought to justice for this atrocity!"

"Thank you, Mr. President," Fargo said. "But we've delayed as long as we can. Lucy and Kohta must go and lead the teams to the Institute to get their adoptive daughter back and kill the King of Furies."

"I understand," the President replied. "Queen Lucy, Master Kohta…go with my prayers and the prayers of all the people of the world who wish to live in peace with your people. God willing, you'll succeed and avert this apocalypse that threatens to engulf us all."

"We need every prayer we can get," Kohta admitted. "Thank you, Mr. President. And I hope that once this is over, you and your people will remember the covenant you made with Lucy. She will hold you to it."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," the President said. "Good luck."

"Good luck, my Queen," Samuel Wallace said abruptly. "May Izanami favor you and your King."

"Come Fargo, let's end this now," Lucy ordered grimly.

As you wish, my Queen," Fargo answered. He looked at Ron and made a cutting motion across his throat. Ron shut down the communications link as Fargo led Lucy and Kohta to the docking bay.

On the mainland shore north of the Institute, Tanya and Dimitri sat in the ruins of the shrine there. The remains of nearly thirty humans and diclonii lay strewn about the ground. Dimitri sat stoically, facing the sea as Tanya treated his wounds. "I don't know if I can keep doing this," Dimitri muttered gloomily. "These people had no mind left. It's like those zombie movies where people turn into ravenous fiends who kill and eat each other. Even our own kind has succumbed to it."

"I know," Tanya growled. "With every passing moment, the Fury grows, poisoning more and more of humanity. If the Queen doesn't move quickly, there will be nothing left." Tanya suddenly stopped treating Dimitri, looking to the sea.

"What is it?" Dimitri asked.

"There's a power moving this way I've never felt before," Tanya replied tensely. "It's so vast that it's causing me to doubt my sanity. No diclonius can have that kind of power."

Dimitri felt the stirring too. It sent an icy knife of fear through his mind and soul. "I can feel it too," he said. "This is crazy! It's like the Collective has suddenly been released upon the world. For the first time since I awoke to my vectors, I'm afraid."

A moaning rose from the sea, a dreadful wail of doomed souls crying for vengeance. Tanya's mouth twisted into a frown as a chill raced down her spine. "Do you hear that?" she murmured. "It's like the ocean is wailing."

"I hear it," Dimitri said, putting his arm around Tanya. "I'm afraid, but I will face this new enemy with you. If we die, we die together."

A voice called from outside the shrine. "Death only comes to those who seek it. Do you seek it?"

Both Tanya and Dimitri felt a sudden explosion in their diclonius telepathy. They went into a defensive stance with their vectors out to deal with this new menace. "Who are you?"

"A friend maybe," the disembodied voice said calmly. "Maybe an enemy, it all depends on you. Do you seek the Queen to stop this madness or to kill her?"

"We do not speak to ghosts," Tanya declared. "Show yourself. We can sense you, but don't know exactly where you are."

"Be careful of your tone, royals," the voice said menacingly. "The Queen will not tolerate any deceit at this point. Now answer the question."

"Not until you show yourself," Dimitri returned forcefully. "We have no idea who you are. How are we to know that you're not a deranged diclonius bent on killing us because we turned against the Fury?"

A distinctly female voice spoke from beyond the entrance of the shrine. "She does have a point. Let's show them who we are. I've sensed their intentions toward us."

"Very well," the other voice stated.

The air shimmered in front of Tanya and Dimitri as four figures became visible…two men and two women. Tanya's eyes narrowed as the figures solidified. She growled, seeing the object of her search finally standing before her. Lucy glared at her icily as Kohta stood beside her with Charlene and Draco standing a few steps back.

"Careful," Kohta murmured coolly. "Don't do anything any of us will regret. We're here to talk, nothing more."

"How dare you speak to Tanya that way, human!" Dimitri snapped, rising to his feet. "She is a diclonius queen, and you are nothing but a putrid human germ."

Kohta opened his mouth to answer, but Lucy answered for him. She instantly snared Dimitri with her vectors, cocooning him and lifting him off the ground. "And I'm the Queen, and he's my choice! Speak to him that way again and I will end your wretched existence."

"Let him go, you bitch!" Tanya cried, attacking with a swarm of vectors.

"Oh no you don't," Kohta returned with a wry smile, restraining every vector she sent out with one of his own. "You have no idea what I am. I'm no mere human germ…not any more. Now settle down and let's talk about this like civilized people. As long as we fight each other, the King of Furies wins."

"Master Kohta is right," Charlene agreed. "Now everyone just back down. We came here at Lucy's insistence because she thought you two were going to allies, not enemies."

Tanya gasped when Kohta snared her vectors with his. When she heard his words, she hesitated, backing down. "What are you?"

Dimitri, likewise, saw what happened and gasped. He couldn't understand how a mere human could stop a diclonius queen like Tanya. "I'd like to know that too," he chimed, aware that Lucy merely held him in check, but wasn't trying to kill him.

Lucy cracked a grin. "Thought I'd come unprotected, didn't you? That's a bad mistake on your part. Kohta, show them."

The royal pair again gasped in astonishment as Kohta revealed his diclonius essence to them. "I am human, and I am diclonius," he said. "I'm this way because of Lucy's blood, and her power as the Queen of our kind. I am the one who will help Lucy stop this madness and bring peace between our species. I am the King, but not by any choice of my own."

Tanya and Dimitri couldn't deny what their diclonius telepathy said: this human was the diclonius King by Lucy's hand. After cloaking his diclonius power, Kohta asked, "Now the question still remains…are you with us? Do you want to stop this insanity? Not all humans are evil, putrid germs to be exterminated. What's your answer?"

"Forgive us, milady," Dimitri apologized. "We had no idea that you had turned this human into one of us. We are with you, aren't we, Tanya?"

"Yes," Tanya replied, humbled by Kohta's revelation. "But can we really win?"

Lucy lowered Dimitri to the ground and released him. "To be honest, I don't know," Lucy admitted. "But we must try. We're the only ones who can do anything about this."

"We can stop this," Kohta reassured them. "The King of Furies has a weakness and I know what it is. We can exploit that weakness to destroy him before he destroys all life everywhere."

"And what weakness is that?" Tanya asked skeptically.

"His arrogance is his weakness," Kohta said. "Akira Nariko pointed it out to me when I fulfilled his last wish. This King thinks he's so powerful that no one would dare to confront him on his own turf. Lucy and I have worked out a little plan against which he will have no defense. All we need is a few extra people to help divert his attention so we can do what we came for."

"And what might that be?" Dimitri asked. "I thought you were here to kill him."

"All in good time," Lucy declared. "But he is holding one of our family hostage. We mean to get her out of the Institute before its reactor blows this part of Japan to atoms."

"Ahh," Tanya murmured. "You're speaking of the girl, Mayu. We received word that he was using her as bait to lure you and your man here to your doom."

"The only one dying today is him," Lucy answered coldly. "I'm finished with being a victim of hate. We're going to settle this question of who rules. He will die and we will set the Collective back in balance so we no longer have to fight these homicidal urges of the Fury. Now are you with us?"

"Yes," Tanya stated. "But you must know that initially, I intended to join up with you so I could get close enough to kill you. But with the insanity that has exploded, I realized that it was not to my benefit to replace you as Queen. The Fury blinded me. Can you ever trust me knowing that?"

Lucy frowned at the confession. "I don't know. But one thing Kohta has taught me is that everyone deserves a second chance. You have that chance now. However, understand that if I sense anything that will jeopardize Kohta, me, or any of my friends, I will not hesitate in ripping you to pieces. Do I make myself clear?"

"Absolutely," Tanya replied. "Fact is I tire of the relentless hatred that has spurred me on since I awoke to my power. I would just like to not have to fight for every moment of my life."

"If we succeed here, you won't have to," Kohta announced. "This is why we're doing this. Either we succeed and make peace between our kinds, or we die, and with us, the rest of the world. The bloodstorm unleashed by Yoshitora must be dissipated by any and all means at our disposal. We cannot let the demons of Fury win."

"I agree," Dimitri stated. "You have incredible knowledge for a human."

"He walks with the spirit of Akira Nariko within him," Charlene declared. "He is General Nariko's hand-picked successor. So it would be wise to pay attention to him on this eve of destruction."

"Is this true?" Dimitri asked.

Kohta nodded. "Time is wasting. We only have an hour and a half to get Mayu away from Institute. If you're with us, let's get moving. Otherwise, you may want to take to your heels and get away from here as fast as you can."

"We're coming with you," Tanya said. "We have a score to settle with this King. He played us for fools and now he's going to pay."

"Then let's do it," Lucy ordered. "Come. We approach the Institute from the north by boat." With that, she led everyone away to the awaiting skiff one hundred yards away.

Deep in the Institute's maximum security holding cells, Mayu woke from a fitful sleep with a cry of fright. When she became aware of where she was, soft sobs bubbled up from her parched lips. "I'm going to die here," she muttered gloomily.

"That you will," a sinister voice answered from the darkness.

"Who's there?" Mayu asked, not seeing anyone through the slit in her helmet.

The helmet opened up, revealing the King of Furies hovering in front of her with an incredibly wicked grin on his face…so wicked it made Mayu cringe. He moved in nose to nose with her so she could smell his foul breath. "Is my worm comfy on its hook?"

Pain, thirst, and hunger chased away Mayu's fear, making her brazen in her reply. "What do you think? I'm sure you know what it's like being locked up like this better than I."

He grabbed her by the jaw, squeezing it painfully. "You forget your place, worm. I can kill you with a thought. Though I am a bit surprised that you've been able to shield your mind from my fury. The last human I encountered went mad within minutes of just seeing me. Something about you is different from all the rest of those pests. You don't cower, fear, or hate me, despite my mistreatment of you. Why is that? What makes you so different from every other human germ? I expected to see you completely crazed by now. What is your secret?"

Mayu glared at him until he released her jaw so she could speak. Working her jaw a bit before speaking, she said, "It's like I told you before. I don't want to see anyone die: not you, not me, not anyone. I know what it's like to be betrayed by those you think love you. But not everyone is like that, willing to betray and hurt those around them. I suspect that deep down somewhere inside that darkness of yours is a nice guy who just wants to be loved. We can live together. Please, stop this madness. Don't destroy all of humanity over an ancient grudge."

The King of Furies lashed out with his fist, striking Mayu in the chest and winding her. As she wheezed and gasped in pain, he hissed, "How dare you lecture me on what's right and what's wrong, worm! Your kind has no concept of what's right or even what justice is. My brothers and sisters have been crying for justice for eons. I'm the one who is going to let them loose to feast on you un-evolved, half-conscious pond scum! Now answer the question, what makes you immune to my fury when all others of your kind have fallen into madness?"

Mayu slowly gained her breath, determined not to be beaten by the King of Furies. "It's something you can never understand," she whispered. "But that little piece of you that you keep buried would. It's what makes us all human, even you."

The King of Furies punched her, blacking her eye. "And what is that, germ?"

"Love," Mayu answered. "I understand its power now, in this dark place. My love for my family…my real family, keeps me from going crazy in here. Lucy and Kohta will come for me, and when they do, they will teach you what it really means to be human."

The King of Furies' expression twisted into a sadistic grin. "Love can't save you, little worm, and as for them coming to get you, I'm counting on it! In fact, I think I will kill them in front of you just so you'll see that love is no match for my fury."

Mayu's face fell with dismay. Suddenly deep in her mind, a strange voice echoed to her; a vaguely familiar voice filled with love and life tinted with Lucy's tone imparting wondrous knowledge of the forgotten past of the King. For a moment, Mayu thought Kaeda was speaking to her. A smile crossed Mayu's face, causing the King to pause in the midst of his cackling laughter. "What are you smiling at? I'm going to destroy your family in front of you."

"That you may, Rayden," Mayu chided. "But Izanami isn't going to let you do it."

The King's mouth fell open in utter astonishment. "What did you call me?"

"You're doing the same thing now that you did to that village all those centuries ago when you lost your parents," Mayu returned. "Izanami is not your enemy, as we are not your enemies, nor were those innocent people in that village. Please, Rayden, let go of your hate for all life. You cannot destroy the whole world. That's suicide. Without us humans, your kind will become extinct. We are all humans."

Fear fell into the King's heart. His eyes grew wide as he backed away. "Oh, did I strike a nerve?" Mayu murmured. "Please, Rayden, don't let the thing that destroyed you before destroy us now."

The King's countenance softened slightly. His eyes lit up with life for just a moment before the darkness drove it away. The rage exploded in him as he choked Mayu enough with his vectors to get her to stop talking. "Rayden is a name that has no meaning for me, little worm. I don't know how you knew those details of my past, but let's me make something perfectly clear. I will kill until every human is dead. And Izanami will fall for her betrayal to our kind. I will kill her with my own hands. I am the end of all there is. I am Fury! No one will deny my justice any longer, not you, not Lucy, or that pest she chose, and certainly not Izanami. Now hang there until you rot." He released the chokehold on Mayu, slammed the visor shut, and left the cell.

Mayu gasped for breath, tears running down her cheeks as sobs of relieved terror bubbled up. "What have I done?" she wailed. "I just made him angrier. Now I'm dead for sure. I'll never see Kohta, Nana, Lucy, Yuka, or Myra again." She felt the salty taste of her own blood as it dribbled down the side of her face with her tears.

Ten minutes later, her visor opened again. Expecting the worst, she closed her eyes, waiting for the coup de grace to come. "Goodness, girl, didn't I warn you to keep your mouth shut to the King?" a familiar voice chided. "Your fucking lucky he didn't rip you apart, especially after the way he looked when he came out of here."

Mayu peeked with her good eye, the other having swollen shut. Susan floated in front of her. A relieved cry bubbled from Mayu's throat. "Susan, oh thank god! I thought he'd come back to finish me off."

"He still might," Susan returned. "I don't know what you said to him, but I've never seen him this mad. He's so angry that his control of the diclonius around the island is slipping. What did you say to him to make him so mad?"

"I think he came down here just to torment me for kicks," Mayu said as Susan took a damp washcloth and cleaned her swollen, bruised face. "But I was in such pain that I wasn't afraid of him. Then at one point, I heard this strange voice deep in my head that obviously wasn't me or him telling me what his real name is, and some apparently touchy history about him. I wasn't scared or anything. It was like someone else was speaking through me. The voice reminded me of Kaeda. When I told him about his past, or rather this voice through me, told him, I saw the strangest thing I think I've ever seen."

"What was that?" Susan asked, paying very close attention to account.

"You know how he's always got this evil, hateful look with eyes that are just black as tar?" Mayu asked.

"Yea," Susan agreed.

"Well, I saw that expression disappear as he became afraid," Mayu stated. "His eyes suddenly lit up as that harsh cold look softened. It was only for just a moment, but I could swear I thought I saw another personality trying to emerge, one that was living and fighting for his very existence against the King. The only way I can express this look he gave me is like this other personality was begging for help. Then the King returned and pushed this other personality down. It rather reminded me of Lucy and Nyu. At that point, he became super mad at me and choked me until I almost passed out. He was saying something, but I can't half remember it. God I'm thirsty."

Susan's face lit up with wonder. "No wonder he's so mad. If a mere human knew stuff about my past, stuff that no human should ever know, I'd be pissed too. I'm sensing an intelligence behind this. You have no idea how you came to know this?"

"No," Mayu answered. "Just before that happened, he was trying to figure out why I haven't gone mad from my exposure to his fury like others have. Apparently, my love for Kohta, Lucy, and my family has kept me from going loony like everyone else has."

"Incredible," Susan breathed. "I'd been wondering about that myself. You say your love has kept you from freaking out?"

"Apparently," Mayu said. "Can you please get me something to drink?"

"Of course," Susan said, producing a small bottle of water. "That's why I came to begin with. It's my responsibility to keep you alive as bait until your friends get here. The King would have all our souls if you were to die now." She opened the bottle and placed it to Mayu's lips. "Drink it slowly. You haven't had anything for a couple days now."

Mayu drank the water, feeling its refreshing coolness move down her throat into her stomach. The sensation pleased her tremendously. Within minutes, she had drunk the whole bottle. "Thank you, Susan. You're so kind."

"You're welcome," Susan replied. "Now will you please keep your mouth shut this time? The less you say, the better your chances are of escaping this place."

"Yeah," Mayu murmured. "I'm not going to get him mad like that again. I don't relish being his punching bag again."

"Good," Susan said. "You now have an incentive to keep quiet. But between us, I think what you did may have helped our situation. The madder he gets, the less control he has over the lower level diclonius here at the Institute. I can feel his lack of control. He's very angry and perplexed by what you told him. It's leaving more of us free of his control. However, the downside to that is that he may become exceptionally violent, killing anyone and everyone around him. Let's hope that doesn't happen."

"Let's hope not," Mayu agreed.

"Now just be quiet and don't give up hope," Susan whispered in Mayu's ear. "It shouldn't be too much longer before the Queen comes for you. In the meantime, I'll try to keep the King out of here."

"Thank you," Mayu replied. "I appreciate that. Just having you to talk to is making this much more bearable. If we get out of this alive, I would hope that we could remain friends."

"I'd like that," Susan answered. "Now I have to go. But I'll check up on you after while."

Mayu nodded as Susan floated down to the floor, and left the cell. The water Mayu received helped to bolster her spirits, reducing her thirst tremendously while reviving her faith in her friends' ability to rescue her. "Kohta and Lucy will come for me. I know they will. We are family," she mutter as drowsiness returned, sending her into anther fitful sleep.

A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. College classes were heavy last semester, keeping me from posting quicker.

In any event, the pieces are in place. The world stands on the brink, waiting for the push that will plunge it into destruction, or the pull that will keep it from falling into the maelstrom of bloody annihilation. The symphony of blood will begin and who will survive? Will Lucy, Kohta, and their rag-tag band free Mayu and succeed in destroying the King of Furies, or will everyone fall victim to the King's rage? We shall see in the next installment. Reviews are welcome. As always, be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	28. Chapter 28 Blood Storm

Chapter 28

Blood Storm

The King of Furies roamed the ruined halls of the Institute in a state of wrath fueled by anxiety and fear. Mayu, a mere human had somehow penetrated his deepest secret and thrown it into his face. "How did she know?" he grumbled under his breath. "She's just a human parasite. Yet she knew what I did all those centuries ago. How did she find out?"

A couple of diclonius minions innocently approached him as he stalked down the corridor. Without blinking, he slaughtered them in a splash of blood and body parts, absorbing their essence and power. Instantly, the King became aware of the siphoning of pieces of his kill to another source. His rage doubled. "Who dares take what is mine from my very hand within my domain?" he growled. "Someone's fighting me in secret. I must find whoever is doing this now. They're interfering with my grip on the wills of these fleas, and I'm not going to have it. First that pest, then the little girl, and now this; they've all underestimated my power. It's time for me to unleash the full force of the Fury, and cleanse this putrid planet of the contagion of humanity forever."

Minutes later, the King walked into Kakuzawa's office. He strode to the window and looked out over the smoking ruins of Kamakura. His diclonius telepathy fluctuated, growing exponentially. "She is coming," he murmured, sensing Lucy at a distance. "I can feel her. And the pest is with her too. I knew she couldn't resist coming to the rescue of one of her pets. Now I will take what is mine."

He suddenly cringed in physical pain, grabbing his belly. "What's this?" he gasped. In the same instant, he realized the pain originated deep within his own mind from a buried personality. By will alone, he forced the pain down, hissing, "A valiant effort, Rayden. But you will not interfere. Watch helplessly as I destroy your Queen, followed by your precious sister, and then this festering world. You'll be the last one I consume, seeing the end of every species of life on this miserable planet, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. Now observe as I rip open the Fury and release it on this doomed planet, consuming every essence and soul, human and diclonius alike."

He looked out over Kamakura, his eyes becoming as scarlet fire. His eye's pupils and irises vanished in the crimson flames that reflected a universe in self-destruction. Raising his hands like some pagan god ready to unleash annihilation upon all he sees, the King of Furies groaned, pulling his hands together, concentrating his diclonius power between his hands. A glowing ball of black energy formed between his hands that slowly grew in size. Rolling the ball of infernal fire between his hands, he called out, "Hear me, brothers and sisters…the time has come for us, and the entire world to be one with the Collective. Come to me; join with me to release our rage on this unforgiving planet. Give yourselves to the Collective and our collective Fury! The time is now. Let the planet and all that's on it die in the blood storm of our wrath!"

The ball of black fire between his hands suddenly pulsed out, encompassing his entire body. A shriek of pain rose first as the power of the Fury penetrated every cell of his being. He doubled over, crossing his arms in front of his chest. The shriek rose into the roar of an enraged beast. Witnessing his actions from just outside the door to Kakuzawa's office without being sensed, Susan bolted, sending out a telepathic distress call to all her friends to take cover. The King abruptly absorbed the black energy of fury swirling about him, pulling every speck of it into himself. His horns suddenly grew to demoniac proportions, each nearly six inches long and curving upwards. The fingernails on the King's hands became three-inch razor claws as he grew six inches in moments. Fangs grew from both his top and bottom jaws. His face became sunken and gaunt, ashen in color: the terrible view of demoniac death incarnate.

"Ahh, horrid freedom…now I can act!" the King of Furies crowed sadistically. "Time to unleash the blood storm; I call to every diclonius fury in Japan…come to me now so I may unleash the Fury, and end this world!" He bolted to a standing position, spreading his hands wide releasing a blast of black flaming energy, its shockwave flashing out in every direction. The black energy pulse encompassed the island in seconds, killing every diclonius minion whom he had controlled. Only a handful of high-level diclonius rebels, including Susan, managed to get to safety in the core of the Lazarus lab, where the chromium, lead, and titanium-carbide alloy walls prevented the dark pulse from killing them. Every other diclonius on the island perished; their souls, power, and essence sucked out of them by the vampiric black plasma. Screams of primal agony echoed over the whole island as the infernal pulse of fury demolished the brains of nearly seventy diclonius souls. Their eyes exploded and bloody brains flowed from the eye sockets, nose, and ears of every diclonius victim. The glowing mists of their power flowed to Kakuzawa's office, and into the King of Furies.

The black pulse washed over Japan in a matter of minutes, killing every fury-deranged diclonius in the country in a similar manner. Their cries rose as a wail over the whole of Japan. Lucy, Kohta, Charlene, Draco, Bandoh, Guildo, Tanya, Dimitri, Tao, and Li Mei were cruising at top speed towards the Institute from the north when they saw the flame of Black Fury spreading out like a nuclear blast.

"What the hell is that?" Bandoh cursed, pointing to the energy wave approaching them.

"Oh shit," Guildo growled. "That looks like a physical manifestation of the Fury. Brace yourselves!"

Lucy saw the blast coming and stood up on the bow of the boat, bracing herself. She held her hand up and concentrated, clenching her fist, spinning an impenetrable vector field around the boat. The dark energy wave hit hard. Everyone's hair stood up as the electrical component of the blast crackled around Lucy's vector shield. She could feel and hear individual voices within the fury wave. Her legs buckled. "No…can't let them in. Can't reveal my power level yet," she groaned as she looked up from her knees. In seconds, the wave passed, leaving everyone untouched. However, the electricity of the pulse overloaded the skiff's engines, leaving them adrift three hundred meters from the lower docks.

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Kohta asked while Guildo started looking at the engine.

She sighed heavily, retracting her vector shield. "I think so, Kohta. But many of our people will not survive that pulse. I think the King is trying to kill every diclonius in Japan to get their power."

"Why would he do that?" Charlene asked.

"To release the Fury," Bandoh growled. "His plan was to take out as many diclonius as possible and absorb enough of their power to break open the Fury so no one could stop him. That's what I would do if I were in his shoes."

"Can you sense him, Bandoh?" Tao asked.

"Yes," Bandoh hissed. "And he's very pissed. Something has happened that's sent him off the deep end."

"Is there anyone left on the island besides him?" Li Mei queried in a very worried tone.

"Yes," Lucy replied. "I can sense a handful of diclonius in the lower levels who apparently found a way to avoid the attack. But everyone else is dead. I can't even sense Mayu."

"Mayu is okay," Kohta stated. "I can feel her, though she is very weak. We need to hurry up. Guildo, are you making any progress with that engine?"

"Fuck no," Guildo hissed, disgusted. "The energy blast blew every circuit on the engine."

"Any ideas on how to get to shore?" Draco asked.

"We have a boat load of diclonius royals here," Charlene announced. "We have all the power we need, if everyone is willing to lend a vector to our cause."

"I got this," Dimitri volunteered.

"Me too," Tanya said. Within seconds, Tanya and Dimitri's vectors propelled the skiff toward the ocean docks of the Institute.

As they approached, everyone noticed a glowing haze moving towards the upper portion of the island. "Is that what I think it is?" Lucy asked about the haze.

"It is," Tao replied. "It's the essences of deceased diclonii heading toward the King."

"There's more coming from the mainland," Draco announced. "Look!" A glowing cloud rose from Kamakura, drifting slowly toward the Institute and the King of Furies.

"Oh, we have to stop this," Kohta declared. "We have to do something to keep him from swallowing all those souls or we may never stop him."

"I don't think we need to," Charlene reported. "The glowing cloud from the island is starting to split. Look, some of it is coming to us, I suspect to Lucy."

Kohta grabbed Lucy's hand, holding it as the ocean started to murmur and cry, voices echoing from the glowing fog that fell from the island. "I'm here," Kohta told Lucy as the glowing fog started to swirl around the boat, being drawn to Lucy. She squeezed his hand as the fog touched her.

In her mind, she saw what happened to each diclonius soul eradicated by the King's pulse. The souls happily attached themselves to her, being the strongest diclonius in the vicinity. "Hold me, Kohta," Lucy wheezed in pain, tears of sorrow and pain flowing. "It's like the beach. I need your help to control the release."

"Say no more," Kohta answered, drawing her into a tight embrace.

Lucy closed her eyes, clinging to Kohta as the glowing mist swirled into her. Repeatedly, she felt each diclonius' piece of the Collective snap into place with hers. By time they reached the Institute's dock, the glowing mist from the island had dissipated. Lucy shuddered violently, holding in the furies of those she absorbed. "Can't release in open," Lucy wheezed. "Kohta, help me. What do I do?"

"Send out your vectors into the water and release it underwater," Kohta urged. "It won't be as destructive, and it may conceal it somewhat."

Lucy sent out ten vectors, reaching down into the water out an incredible half a kilometer.

Guildo pulled a leather wallet out of his pocket. "Bite down on this, milady," he suggested. "It'll help as you release those furies."

Lucy instantly bit down on the wallet as Kohta held her tight. "Now let them go," Kohta ordered. "You can do it. I believe in you."

Lucy groaned, clenching the wallet between her teeth as she released the furies of forty diclonii into the sea a half a kilometer offshore of the Institute. Tears flowed, and the sea boiled over a six hundred meter diameter, killing every living thing in that area. With the release of the furies, Lucy sighed deeply, slumping in Kohta's arms. Guildo took the wallet from her lips, finding it nearly bit in two. "Thank you, captain," Lucy whispered. "That wallet helped me from screaming at the top of my lungs. I hope the King didn't see that."

"He saw it," Bandoh said coldly. "How could he not see it? You drew a significant number of his kills away. That's something he would definitely notice."

"So we can assume that he knows we're here," Kohta stated.

"Absolutely," Bandoh stated. "Now if we're done here, let's get Mayu out of here and kill that fucking prick."

Lucy looked icily at Bandoh, sensing his divided loyalties. "After you," she ordered once Guildo tied up the skiff to the dock.

"By all mean, your majesty," Bandoh replied sarcastically. "…this way."

"What about the other teams?" Draco asked.

"I don't know," Guildo answered. "They were to come in on the other side of the island. But after what that blast did to us, I'm not sure we can rely on them."

"You really think so?" Kohta asked.

"Yes, I do," Guildo answered. "But regardless of their mission, ours is to get Mayu out of here before that reactor blows. If they survived, we should run into them."

"Then let's get to it," Kohta said. "Time is not on our side. Bandoh, take us to Mayu."

"Yes sir," Bandoh answered with a middle-finger salute. "…this way."

The King of Furies absorbed the furies of his kills, knowing each one his black pulse eradicated. When the glowing mists of diclonius essences vanished, he roared, sending out a pulse of destructive telekinetic energy that opened Kakuzawa's office to the sky. The debris from the office rained down in the sea around the island. Instantly, the King discovered not all of his kills from the pulse came to him. Forty kills were missing. A vicious growl arose. He knew what it meant. "That bitch; she stole my kills! I don't have enough power to rupture the Collective now." As his thoughts went to Lucy, he sensed her very near. "Seems I underestimated your power, Lucy; but it makes no difference. Even with those souls you stole from me, I'm still far more powerful than you could ever be."

Bandoh's essence touched the King's mind. "So, you're back too, dog," the King sneered. "Now we'll see whose side you're really on. Oh, this is getting better by the moment. The bitch brought along a bunch of heavy-hitting royals to fight me. They will not succeed. I will swallow their souls myself. With their power, I'll be able to release the Fury and my brothers and sisters from their eternal prison. And I know just where to meet them." The King cackled madly, storming out of Kakuzawa's office, still unaware of the overloading power plant beneath his feet.

Deep in the Institute's reactor, the runaway fusion cycle shook the reactor core housing, melting it from the inside. Huge streamers of electricity arced from the reactor to the containment walls shielding the reactor from the rest of the Institute, same as a giant Van De Graff generator. The containment structure rumbled ominously under the bombardment from the core, its structure trembling and weakening under the overload. Radiation spiked immediately around the core containment to over 10,000 times the lethal limit. The temperature in the same area also skyrocketed to 130 degrees. The containment walls slowly melted from within, thinning under the superheated plasma arcing from the core. Hairline fractures started appearing in the six-foot reinforced concrete walls lined with four feet of chromium/lead/tungsten alloy shielding. Radioactive gas began seeping from the cracks as pressure built within the core and containment structures.

Bandoh led Lucy's team deep into the lower levels of the Institute in search of Mayu's cell. Dead diclonius with their eye missing with the bloody pulp of their brains oozing out of their eye sockets, nose, mouth, and ears greeted them. Bandoh frowned at the sight, realizing his plan was forfeit. He would now have to improvise to get his revenge.

"Dear god," Guildo breathed as they strode over the bodies of dozens of the dead. "It looks like their brains exploded."

"That it does," Bandoh replied coldly. He suddenly stopped at an intersection in the corridors. "Here is where we must split up. I'm certain now, seeing the dead here, that our other teams aren't coming. Someone needs to go to the reactor core to see if there's any stopping it. Now who's going to do it?"

"That's a death sentence for whoever goes in that direction," Kohta growled. "And we don't have the gear for it. It was with Jericho's team."

"Makes no difference," Bandoh retorted. "If you want to get the kid out of here, someone has to try and at least slow down the overload."

"I'll go," Guildo said grimly. "I'm familiar with the Institute's reactor system because the Kraken's reactor was modeled after it."

"I'll go too," Draco replied. "…to watch your back."

"Dimitri and I will come with you, captain," Tanya volunteered.

"You should go with Lucy," Guildo retorted. "They may need you more than I."

"Nonsense," Dimitri answered. "In Russia, I was a nuclear technician. You may need my expertise."

"Enough of this," Lucy snapped. "Tanya and Dimitri will go with you, captain. We haven't time to argue about it."

"Yes, my queen," Guildo replied softly.

Bandoh pointed down the left corridor. "The reactor core is that way. Follow the signs. Even you can't miss it."

Lucy slugged Bandoh with a vector. "Enough of that sarcasm, you pig. Take us to Mayu now."

"As you wish," Bandoh growled, rubbing his jaw.

"If we don't make it back," Guildo said, "I'd like to say it's been an honor to know you and Master Kohta, my Queen. May Izanami protect us all."

"Same here," the rest of Guildo's makeshift team chimed in.

"Don't say such things," Lucy growled. "You'll come back."

"Let's go, people!" Bandoh snapped. "Mayu is waiting."

Lucy nodded as Guildo's team disappeared down the corridor as the lights started flicking. "He isn't coming back," Kohta said as they followed Bandoh straight across the corridor intersection.

"I don't know," Lucy replied. "The Fury is so thick in here that I'm having trouble staying focused."

"Tell me about it," Kohta agreed.

In minutes, Bandoh led them into the maximum-security cellblock just outside of the Lazarus Labs. The corridor expanded into a cavernous passageway twenty feet high and wide, stretching into the darkness. Huge steel doors weighing dozens of tons lay broken on their hinges, many with the sharp edges where the diclonius prisoners broke out of their confinements. The decomposing bodies of the original guards lay scattered everywhere, the blood splatters having turned black. The stink made Kohta gag briefly. Lucy grimaced at the odor, moving on.

"Oh man," Tao commented. "They really did a number down here."

"This is just what the prisoners did to their guards," Bandoh hissed. "The worst atrocities took place in the Lazarus Labs."

"Where is Mayu?" Lucy demanded.

"Why can't you see for yourself?" Bandoh chided. "She is in the only cell not damaged down here. It's the deepest cell, sitting right next to the Lazarus Lab."

"Stop stalling, Bandoh," Kohta roared, feeling a flush of anger. "You'd better take us there now or I'll kill you myself!"

"Shut up, little man," Bandoh growled. "…and keep your threats to yourself. Haven't you figured it out yet? Shit, you're such an idiot. Just look around you…this is a place of the dead, a necropolis of the damned. In these cells, Kakuzawa committed the most heinous crimes imaginable against the diclonius. If I might be so bold, this is as close to hell as you can get without dying. I should know, since you killed me once before, you little prick."

"Why you arrogant bastard!" Charlene hissed, her ire rising. "You have no right to talk to Master Kohta that way."

Bandoh stopped in his tracks, wheeling around on his heel. His face reddened with rage. Stabbing an accusing finger at Kohta, he roared, "I have every right to speak to him that way. He killed me with my own gun, goddamn it! I have a score to settle with him for that shot. So don't speak to me about how I talk to this little shit!"

Tao, Li Mei, Lucy gathered around Kohta as the confrontation ensued. Lucy's eyes glowed with growing rage. "What did I tell you on the ship, you arrogant prick?" Lucy growled icily at Bandoh.

"And you, bitch," Bandoh snapped. "Don't think I've forgotten all the shit you did to me, either. By all that is holy, I'll see both of you dead for what you did to me!"

Li Mei saw the Fury slowly poisoning her friends. "Please," she begged, getting between Lucy, Kohta, and Bandoh. "Now is not the time for this! You friend Mayu is depending on us to get her out of here before this place explodes."

"Get out of the way, Li Mei," Lucy demanded; her tone reflective of her growing anger. "His arrogance stops here."

Kohta gasped in epiphany. "Wait!" he shouted. "Everyone stop!"

"Why should we?" Bandoh hissed, ready to fight. "Let's get it on!"

"Yeah, Kohta," Lucy agreed. "We need to put him down now."

"No we don't," Kohta disagreed. Turning to Bandoh, he said, "Bandoh's right, Lucy. He has legitimate gripes with both of us. It doesn't bother me that he speaks to me as if I were a dog. What does bother me is that we're standing here, mere steps away from freeing Mayu and we're about to kill each other. The Fury is doing this. It's poisoning us as I speak."

"Master Kohta is right," Tao stated grimly. "We all know Bandoh is unstable, and that he'll try to provoke you any chance he gets, Lucy. But you must not bite on his barbs. We have a job to do. The King is very, very close. In fact, he may be orchestrating this fight. Let's turn it back on him by not fighting each other."

"You're a wise man, Tao," Lucy admitted. "Yes, I can see it now." She turned her attention to Bandoh. "You son of a bitch," she cursed. "I made you a promise to leave you alone forever if you helped us get Mayu out of here. Now you act like you're trying to betray us, trying to get us to let our guards down to the Fury. You have failed, Bandoh. We're not going to fight you, nor let the Fury infect us. Now where is Mayu's cell? We have precious little time left to get her out of here."

Bandoh cursed under his breath, seeing his plan unraveling. "Not going to fight, huh? You'll regret that decision." He pointed his finger to the far end of the cavernous passage. "Mayu is in that cell down at the end, next to the entrance to the Lazarus Labs."

At that moment, an explosion rocked the whole complex, knocking everyone to the floor. The lights flickered, going out for a few crucial seconds. The backup lights came on, bathing everything in a hellish red glow. "What was that?" Kohta asked.

"I don't know," Charlene replied. "But I'm betting the overload just knocked out the main power to this place. These are backup lights."

"Where's Bandoh?" Li Mei asked, noticing his absence.

"Shit!" Lucy growled. "He's gone, probably to betray us to the King."

"And we didn't suspect that? Let him. He's not what we came in here for," Kohta insisted, looking at his watch. "We have forty minutes before this place blows. Let's just get Mayu and get the fuck out of here."

Lucy nodded. "Let's do it." They raced to the last cell where Bandoh had indicated Mayu was being kept. The massive seven-foot thick vault door hung partially open. "I don't like this." Lucy hissed.

"Me neither," Charlene agreed as they gathered at the entrance.

Mayu hung ten feet off the floor in a cocooning restraint with a helmet covering her head. A spotlight shined down on her position from above. Kohta saw her and gasped. "Oh my god, she's wrapped up like a spider's dinner!" he cried, his heart breaking at her suffering. "Is this how you were bound when you were here, Lucy?"

Lucy saw it and cursed, the scene bringing back bitter memories of her own imprisonment at the Institute. "Yes, Kohta, it is. He's going to pay for this in blood," Lucy snarled.

When she stepped toward the door, Tao restrained her gently. "Hold on, Lucy. This may be a trap. We don't know if she's even alive. Let me go first."

Lucy saw utter dedication to her in Tao's eyes, and nodded. "Be careful," Lucy said softly. "This doesn't feel right."

Li Mei stepped up beside Tao. She looked him in the eye, and he nodded. They stepped just inside the door. "Mayu, Mayu, can you hear me?" Li Mei called out as Tao scanned the shadows.

Kohta and Lucy held their breath for a few moments, fearing the worst. Mayu's head lifted and she called out weakly, "Don't come in here. It's a trap."

Kohta pushed by Lucy into the cell. "Mayu, we've come to take you home!" Kohta announced.

"No, Kohta…run away! He means to kill everyone and everything! Don't mind me. Save yourself!" Mayu begged.

"We're not leaving without you, Mayu," Lucy called out, moving into the cell as Charlene stood guard outside.

A mocking laughter rose from all directions, sending everyone into a defensive stance. Kohta and Lucy kept their power levels concealed as the laughter grew more menacing. "The little bitch is right," a menacing gravelly voice rumbled. "You should not have come here. But I knew you'd come. Your desire to save this pathetic human scum has been your undoing, Lucy."

"Show yourself, you wretch!" Kohta roared. "Or are you afraid to face us?"

"I fear no being of this universe," the voice answered. "Especially not a pestilent little parasite like you; now you will pay for turning the Queen against me."

"I think not," Lucy retorted. "Looks like you were right, Kohta. His arrogance is his Achilles' heel. We've come to take Mayu away from here, and put an end to your nightmare, Rayden. I know you're in there, Rayden. Fight the fiend who possessed you at the village. Fight him and help us return balance to the Collective."

The King of Furies stepped from the shadows, standing in front of Mayu. Gasps of horror escaped every lip except for Lucy, who steeled herself mentally. Seconds later, the cell door closed with a clang, sealing in Lucy, Kohta, Tao, and Li Mei. Charlene desperately tried to stop the door, but was unable to arrest its movement. "You foolish little bitch," the King snapped. "Rayden cannot help you, and neither will your friends. I will kill each one of you and when I absorb your souls, I'll be strong enough to rip the Collective to pieces. The Fury will take every soul on this planet and finally, the contagion of humanity will be eradicated. I am what you were meant to be, Lucy…death incarnate. So you might as well submit. Your death can be quick and painless, or brutal and very painful. The choice is yours. But I suggest you chose the first option because you are no match for me. You never were, nor will be."

Lucy felt her rage blossoming like a solar eruption. However, it was not the rage of the Fury, but the grief and rage of Izanami, and of all those diclonius who came to her. Lucy trembled, clenching her teeth and fists in righteous indignation. "That's right, Lucy. Give in to your Fury. You cannot fight it. No one can save you from us. It's your destiny."

Tao and Li Mei gathered behind Lucy and Kohta, one on each side. "We are with you, my Queen," Tao reassured her.

"Silence, worm," the King snapped. He lashed out with a powerful vector strike aimed at Tao's head.

In the blink of an eye, Lucy sliced the vector off with one of hers. "There will be none of that," she growled. "These are my friends. Touch them again, and I will show you the real meaning of pain."

The King howled in pain, his sheared vector retracting. "You bitch! You will regret that." He launched a vicious attack of twenty vectors, aimed at destroying Lucy.

"I don't think so, you prick," Kohta shouted, jumping in front of Lucy, using his vectors to stop the assault cold.

"What the fuck?" the King cursed. "How did you stop my attack?"

"Like this," Kohta replied in a stony tone. "Now!" Everyone launched a coordinated vector strike. A wave of 100 powerful vectors washed toward the King of Furies, catching him off guard. The first ones hit him, throwing him back away from Mayu. He crashed against the wall with a thud. The other vectors descended upon him in a writhing mass that seemed to swallow him. A roar rose, followed by a flash. The King stood back up, knocking all vectors away in a brutal fashion. The telekinetic shockwave hit Lucy, Kohta, Tao, and Li Mei, throwing them against the cell wall, stunning them.

"What a pathetic attack," the King cackled madly, genuinely amused at the attack. "A valiant effort to be sure, but as you can see, it's in vain. I have the power of ages at my disposal. You pests are just insects under my boot."

"Oh yeah?" Kohta growled, rising to his feet. "Then why am I still standing?"

Lucy stood up, glancing at Tao and Li Mei, who were out cold. "You still don't get it," Lucy moaned, grasping her throbbing ribs. "We don't have to kill to survive. We cannot kill all of the humans. We're the same species. Without them, our species will die too."

The King laughed Lucy to scorn. "You foolish little bitch," he said, "Whoever said that I wanted only to kill humans? You are correct in assuming that humans and diclonius are forever connected. So, since the diclonius are human as well, they must die too. The contagion of the human genome will be purged from this planet by my hand. Justice will be served and my true brothers and sisters will rise to take your place."

"And who might they be?" Kohta demanded.

"Your primitive mind cannot comprehend who they are," the King growled. "It will only be swallowed by them. Now, putrid human, it's time to die."

"Bring it, demon," Kohta returned, settling into a defensive position.

"I could just kill you outright, but where would the fun be in that," the King stated in an icy tone, yet amused by Kohta's challenge. "Let me show you and Lucy the true reach of my power." He raised his hands and called out, "Rise, my minions, and rip the Queen and her friends to tiny bits!" A banging rattled the cell door, which suddenly pulled open. Charlene stood in the doorway with ten other high-level diclonii, Susan among them. They glared at the King with blood lust in their eyes. "Destroy the Queen and her friends!" the King roared. When they just stood here, staring at him in all their hate, he clenched his fist, shrieking, "Destroy them, or be destroyed, maggots!"

Susan stepped beside Kohta and Lucy. "We will not!" Susan snarled defiantly, stabbing an accusing finger at the King. "You're not the King. We serve the Queen and her King, Master Kohta! Now release Mayu or we'll take her from you!"

The King of Furies rage went nuclear. "How dare you betray me like this? I am the King of the Diclonius Universe!"

"No, you are not!" Lucy shouted. "I am the Queen of the Diclonius Universe and only I can choose my King. I told you I'd never be your Queen and meant it. Kohta is my choice. He is my King! It's time to shed the masks and let Izanami's light shine in this darkness. Show him, Kohta."

"With pleasure," Kohta chimed viciously, revealing his full diclonius essence as Lucy revealed her full power to the King of Furies.

The King's face fell with dismay and fear. No doubt remained in the King's mind that Kohta was not just a human, but also a hybrid with the power of the King of all Diclonius. Furthermore, he realized the vastness of Lucy's power as the true Queen. She no longer was a fearful diclonius girl with a fractured mind, but a single being who had accessed the power of the Collective as the true Queen. Together with Kohta, the King knew his chances of successfully beating them in a battle dropped dramatically. Quickly adopting a new strategy, the King retreated, taking Mayu hostage. He yanked her down from the suspension cables with his vectors, and grabbed her by the throat with his clawed hand. "You will not beat me," he hissed. "Surrender or I'll rip this little pet of yours to bits in front of you."

Lucy's greatest fear came to fruition with the King's act. Her mind went to the day she first used to her vectors to kill; the day Tomo and his so-called friends killed her puppy in front of her. She watched Tomo beat her puppy to death with a lamp while his friends held her back, taunting her. She snapped, killing the three bullies with her vectors, slicing them to pieces. _Never again,_ she thought, her mind coming back to the present. Her eyes blazed with hatred of the King. "Coward, you're just like Tomo and every other worthless piece of shit that torments others because they're different. Let her go. This is between you and me."

"Don't give up!" Mayu cried. "Don't worry about me. Kill him before he kills us all!"

"We can't," Kohta replied, infuriated at the cowardly move on the King's part. "If we let him kill you, he wins."

"You're wrong, bitch," the King hissed, scratching Mayu's throat, drawing just a little bit of blood. "You're the reason she is here. If you hadn't turned against me and your kind, I wouldn't have needed her to insure your cooperation."

"Let her go, you coward!" Charlene shouted. "You cannot force your will on us any longer!"

"I can, and I will!" the King retorted, lashing out with a swarm of vectors without warning. "You will all die now!" His move caught everyone off guard. Lucy and Kohta barely managed to protect themselves, Tao, and Li Mei, whom they stood over. But the vectors took out every other diclonius except for Charlene and Susan. Charlene took a nasty hit while trying to protect Susan and those behind her. The hit knocked her against the wall, crushing her lower spine, rendering her unconscious. Susan likewise managed to dodge the lethal hit, but her leg snapped in three places when she crashed to the floor. The other, less fortunate diclonius flew apart, dismembered in seconds with an explosion of blood and body parts. Blood splattered over the walls as their pieces fell to the floor like rain. The glowing mists of their essences, however, didn't flow to the King of Furies, but to Lucy and Kohta: their true Queen and King. When the King of Furies saw them absorbing his kills, his eyes grew wide and his fury grew to infinite proportions. "No…this is not possible! They are mine!" he roared. His focus fluctuated wildly, his rage distracting him.

"They were never yours," Lucy hissed as the last of the diclonius essences flowed into her and Kohta.

Without warning, a swarm of vectors came out of the darkness, snatching Mayu from the clutches of the King while cutting off his arms. Blood spurted from the stumps of the King's arms. A shriek of pain erupted from the King as Mayu disappeared into the darkness. A fraction of a second later, Lucy and Kohta released the furies of the diclonius essences they absorbed with brutal efficiency. A concentrated burst of blazing fury pulsed directly at the King, sending him flying against the far wall, briefly stunning him.

"Who did that?" Lucy snapped after releasing the pulse, looking around wildly for Mayu.

"I did," a gruff, familiar voice called from the dark. Seconds later, Bandoh appeared next to the door with Mayu in his arms. Another explosion rocked the Institute, shaking the cell violently. "We need to beat our feet out of here," Bandoh urged. "We've gotten what we came for."

"No one's going anywhere," the King snarled, rising to his feet, "least of all you, you traitorous dog. You're so dead!" One concentrated vector shot from the King, aimed at Bandoh and Mayu. Lucy sheared the vector off with her vector as Bandoh counterattacked with his own vectors. Bandoh's vectors plunged through the King's chest, severing his spine and knocking a baseball-sized hole all the way through him.

"I don't think so," Bandoh replied icily, retracting his vector. "You're done, King. You should have never awakened me. Now I've killed you."

A wicked smile crossed the King's face as he stood still for a moment, blood gushing from his chest wound. "On the contrary, you fucking dog, you've freed me. By killing me, you have ruptured the Fury. Only a hybrid could rupture the Collective. It's now free to destroy this world, thanks to your stupidity." Blood gushed from his mouth and he slumped to the floor, stone dead.

A rumble rose as a ball of black energy rose from the King's corpse. "Oh shit," Kohta growled. "This is not good."

Lucy turned a furious eye to Bandoh, snatching Mayu from his grasp with her vectors. "You fool; you may have doomed us all! You fell right into his trap! The only chance we had of containing the Fury was to deal with it while it was inside him. That's why I was supposed to kill him. Only I could kill him without rupturing the Collective! But now you've destroyed his body and freed a plague that is next to impossible to stop! Idiot…because you killed him directly, you get to absorb his essence and take his place!"

"Fuck me sideways!" Bandoh cursed. "I should've known he would trick me like that." The black energy sent out a tendril of dark fog, snaring Bandoh. When it touched him, he turned to Lucy. With a look of desperation, he said, "I think I have one last trick up my sleeve for this prick. Seems he wants me as his vessel. But I'm like Kohta, a hybrid. I might be able to hold him here long enough for you to escape, but you must cut off my arms and legs so I cannot leave. This will be our graves…his and mine. Maybe by doing this, I can get some satisfaction and peace."

"You mean to hold the Fury in check until this place blows?" Kohta asked.

"I do," Bandoh replied as the black fog swirled up his legs to his waist. "Now be quick. I'm sorry for all the trouble I gave you. Please, do it. I can feel the rage starting to build."

Lucy nodded. "Very well, Bandoh. May you find peace, wherever you go." She punched his pineal gland first, scrambling it, and then she shut down his pain receptors before removing his limbs with cauterizing cuts from her vectors. Catching him with her vectors when she removed his limbs, she gently set him down.

"Thank you, Lucy," Bandoh said gratefully. "Now go, you crazy bitch! Get the fuck out of here!"

"Let's go," Lucy ordered, picking up Susan and Charlene with her vectors.

Kohta picked up Tao and Li Mei, and then turned to Bandoh as the black fog swirled up to his neck, and the black ball of energy over the King's corpse continued to grow. "Bandoh, I misjudged you, and I'm sorry."

"Get the fuck out of here, Kohta," Bandoh pleaded. "Go and don't look back!"

Lucy grabbed Kohta by the arm. "We have to move, Kohta." With that, they fled the cell with their wounded. On their way out, they encountered fully functional zombified diclonius corpses, animated by the King's power. The zombie diclonius viciously attacked them, without success because the King no longer controlled them. Lucy and Kohta plowed through them, using their vectors like scythes to cut down the animated corpses. Body parts and blood splattered everywhere. They turned a corner, running into Draco and Tanya. Both were nursing heavy injuries and burns with Tanya leaning heavily on Draco.

"Guildo?" Kohta asked Draco.

Draco shook his head. "Guildo and Dimitri were separated in an explosion and collapse that nearly killed us," he reported. "We don't know if he's alive or dead. But this place is going to blow in five minutes. There's no stopping it."

"We're not going to make it, are we?" Kohta asked.

"Not if we keep flapping our jaws," Lucy hissed. "Come on!"

They raced to the docks, slaughtering every zombie diclonius they encountered. Explosions rocked the facility with ever-greater frequency and magnitude. Chunks of the ceiling began falling as the Institute shook violently. When they reached the docks, their hopes were dashed. The boat had been demolished by falling pieces of the structure over the pier.

"No," Kohta moaned, "What do we do now?"

"There's no escape without the boat," Tanya announced.

"We're not dead yet," Lucy replied. "I fell off the 787 bridge after being shot and survived. We must swim for it. Go, everyone in the water!" She pushed Draco and Tanya in as Kohta jumped in with Tao and Li Mei. Lucy looked back one last time at the Institute, and then looked at Mayu, who remained cocooned in her restraints. "Are you ready, Mayu?"

"Yes, Lucy," Mayu replied. "I trust you with my life."

"I hope that trust isn't misplaced," Lucy murmured, jumping to the sea.

"I know it isn't," Mayu said confidently. "You came for me. I know you won't let me drown."

Lucy smiled, feeling her confidence rise with Mayu's faith in her. With that, Lucy started swimming carrying Mayu, Charlene, and Susan with her vectors, following Kohta, Draco, and Tanya.

Back in Mayu's cell, Bandoh fought against the parasitic Fury that was engulfing him, using the only weapon he had left: his will. The King of Furies struggled to possess Bandoh's body, Bandoh's mind locked in mortal combat with the alien King for control of Bandoh's dying body. "Why do you resist me?" the King hissed, "You can get your revenge if you only stop resisting."

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Bandoh growled, grappling with the King. "You played me for a chump. Now you're going to pay for it. All I need is to hold you here just long enough for the reactor to…"

The King's last words were "Goddamned, I've been tricked by a mongrel dog!" The temperature of the Institute went nuclear as the core ruptured. The heat flash pulsed out, vaporizing everything in its path, including Bandoh, the King of Furies, and his corpse.

On the Chimera, Fargo, Ron, Saito, Emperor Watanabe, Elle Eldritch, Mina, Nana, Suko, Miss Karosuma, Chris, and Phillip watched the Institute on the holographic viewer in Fargo's ready room. "Oh man, where are they?" Saito asked. "This is cutting it way too close."

Smoke billowed from the main structure as explosions rocked the island. "Please god," Suko prayed. "Let them be all right."

Fireballs rose into the sky from various parts of the Institute. "We must believe," Fargo commented, his tone betraying his worry. Suddenly, darkness fell within the souls of every diclonius on the Chimera. "Oh no," Fargo moaned. "Something's gone dreadfully wrong. The Fury is loose! The Collective is ruptured! They were supposed to contain it, not free it."

"I feel it too," Karosuma replied, her shaking voice betraying her fear. "But it's not spreading. Something is holding it in check."

"Is it Lucy?" Saito asked.

"No," Fargo replied. "It's something else."

"I feel Lucy!" Nana blurted out, pointing to the hologram with her new prosthetic arm and hand. "She's in the water!"

"Find her," Fargo barked to Ron.

"I'm on it," Ron replied, zooming in on the water around the Institute. However, before he could get close enough to see anything small as a person in the water, the Institute exploded in a ball of black flame that encompassed the entire structure. A fraction of a second later, a blinding light blasted through the black fire, obliterating it, and causing the holograph to sizzle and vanish.

"Oh god no," Emperor Watanabe cried.

"Get that view back now!" Fargo demanded.

"I'm trying, captain," Ron growled. The lights on the Chimera went out as the ship pitched violently from a powerful shockwave.

"Hold on to something!" Fargo shouted in the darkness. The sounds of items crashing to the floor, including people echoed throughout the room. Seconds later, the power came back up, revealing everything and everyone tossed around like rag dolls. "Is everyone okay?"

"I'll live," Saito answered.

"Me too," Phillip agreed. Within a minute, Fargo found no one injured.

"Can you get the picture back, Ron?" Fargo asked.

"I'll try, captain," Ron replied.

Pressing on the communications' console, Fargo asked, "Bridge, is there any damage?"

"No sir," Hans replied through the speaker. "We were fortunate. That was a thermonuclear detonation. Our distance and depth shielded us from the worst of the blast."

"We have only some bumps and bruises down in sick bay," Dr. Ravenclaw called in.

"Thank goodness," Fargo answered. "How's everything in Engineering?"

"Engineering reports that they'll have main power back up in twenty minutes," Hans reported.

"Very good," Fargo said. Turning to Chris, he ordered, "Have the recon teams on immediate standby. We must find Lucy."

"Yes sir," Chris replied, leaving the room.

"I have a picture," Ron called out. "It's not a good one, but we can see."

"Put it up," Fargo ordered.

Ron put the view up and everyone's hearts fell into their shoes. In the holographic image, they saw an enormous mushroom cloud rising over Kamakura and the Institute.

"Oh no," Elle cried, covering her mouth. "They're gone. They were too late!" Tears run down her cheeks. Nana broke into uncontrollable sobs. Mina, tears in her eyes, tried to console Nana.

Fargo suddenly gasped. "She did it," he whispered.

"Did what?" Saito asked.

"The Fury isn't loose any longer," Fargo said. "A hush has fallen over the planet. It's as if the Fury has been stunned. It's not raging like it was just before the explosion."

"Yes, I can feel it too," Karosuma agreed. "There's this eerie silence where the Fury once was."

"The Queen and her King sacrificed themselves to calm the diclonius Fury," Emperor Watanabe announced.

Nana cried deeply, sobbing over her lost family. "It's not fair!" she wailed. "Why must my friends always die?"

Then, deep in Nana's mind, a voice called to her. "Do not grieve, little silpelit," the voice echoed softly. "Follow your heart and you will find the truth of my power. Look twenty kilometers south of the Institute."

The shock of hearing the voice in her head caused her to stop crying. The light of hope returned so strong that Fargo asked, "What's wrong, Nana?"

"Can you take that thing and look twenty kilometers south of the island, captain?" she asked urgently.

Fargo raised an eyebrow, feeling a prick of hope rising in his heart. "You heard the lady, Ron," he ordered. "Do it."

Ron scanned the ocean twenty kilometers south of the Institute. The image cleared somewhat as he zoomed in on the churning sea. "I have something, captain."

"Zoom in," Fargo barked.

Ron zoomed in until the wreckage of a boat came into view. Everyone gasped, seeing people clinging to the wreckage.

"It's Lucy!" Nana blurted out. "I know it!"

"By the Collective," Fargo swore, seeing the figures resolve into Lucy, Kohta, and several others of their team, including a little girl of no more than fourteen years.

Tears flooded out of Nana's eyes upon seeing the little girl. "It's Mayu! She's alive! They're all alive!"

"Are they?" Fargo asked. "Ron, can you tell from here?"

"No, captain," Ron replied, working the console feverishly. "I might have before the blast, but not now. We're lucky to have a picture at all. What I do know is they are very lucky. The prevailing winds today are from the south and very strong because of an incoming storm, so the radiation and fallout is being blown to the north."

Fargo pushed the communicator button. "Chris, get the Chimera moving as fast as you can. We found Lucy and Master Kohta."

"What's the heading?" Chris replied. "South by southwest, 190 mark 85 at twenty kilometers. They're clinging to a wrecked boat. Have the rescue team ready for extraction."

"Aye, captain," Chris returned. "We have only partial power, but it should be enough to move us that distance without any trouble."

"How long," Fargo asked.

"It'll take about an hour, sir," Chris said.

"Make all speed to those coordinates, Chris," Fargo replied. "We need to reach them before the storm breaks on them."

"Aye, sir," Chris answered. The ship shuddered as the engines fired up, and the ship began moving.

"We're going to get them, Nana," Fargo said.

Nana beamed and hugged Fargo gratefully. "Thank you, Captain."

"No, thank you," Fargo stated with a smile. "The ocean is a very big place. Without your inspiration of where to look, we may have never have found them."

"I hope they're alive when we get there," Saito murmured. "We still need them."

"They're going to be all right," Nana chimed confidently. Yet a hint of hesitation in her voice betrayed a deep-seated fear. "They have to be."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: This is it, the rescue of Mayu. Lucy, Kohta, and their friends managed to rescue Mayu, avert the blood storm, and escape the island just before it exploded. Bandoh finally showed his true colors and came through, making the ultimate sacrifice to allow Lucy, Kohta, and their friends to escape. But they are adrift in the Pacific with a storm bearing down on them. Will Fargo rescue them before the storm reaches them? Moreover, has the breech in the Collective truly been sealed, or is the Fury just stunned, giving our heroes a brief reprieve? Keep reading to find out. The saga of the Requiem is quickly coming to a close.

As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest, but kind in your reviews. Merry Christmas.

Beowulf Caverias


	29. Chapter 29 Battle of the Storm Gods

Chapter 29

Battle of the Storm Gods

Lucy clung to a large piece of a wrecked skiff ten feet long by six feet wide, bobbing in the choppy seas like a cork. Her feet dangled in the water as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

Susan lay on the same piece of driftwood as Lucy, holding Charlene and Mayu close, keeping them from falling into the deep. Agonizing pain pounded in her shattered leg as the seawater stung her burns and the compound fracture on that leg, causing her to remain awake in a state of mild shock. She kept Mayu very close as the wreckage they sat on floated on the ever-increasing swells blown by a stiff south-southeast wind from an ominous-looking cloudbank.

Kohta, Tao, and Li Mei lay on another piece of the wrecked skiff nine feet long by seven feet wide, floating just twenty feet away from Lucy, Susan, Charlene, and Mayu. Tao, the only one awake on their piece of driftwood, held Kohta and Li Mei to keep them from slipping into the choppy sea and drowning. He too nursed moderate injuries that kept him in a moderate shock. The six broken ribs in his chest throbbed like toothaches, making breathing difficult.

Thirty feet away from Lucy bobbed Tanya and Draco, each holding on to four-foot chunks of the totaled boat. Both struggled to remain conscious, having taken a terrible beating at the Institute and from the shockwave of the nuclear overload there.

Susan saw Tao pulling Kohta closer and called out, "Is everyone okay over there?"

"As good as can be expected," Tao replied hoarsely through his pain. "Do you know how we got here? The last thing I remember is waking up several kilometers offshore of the Institute in one of the Chimera's skiffs with Kohta and Lucy pushing us as fast as they could away from the Institute with their vectors. A glowing fog of dead diclonius essences fell on us just before the Institute blew. After that, nothing until about twenty minutes ago when I woke up lying on this piece of driftwood."

"I can't say that I do," Susan replied. "I vaguely recall Lucy finding a skiff drifting several hundred meters offshore, with everyone on it dead from the King's pulse. The last thing I truly remember is seeing the glowing essences of the deceased diclonii from the mainland engulfing us in that boat just before the explosion. When I woke just a few minutes ago, like you, I found myself on this piece of the boat with all sight of land having vanished. Only the mushroom cloud north of us told me where the land was. See, it still lingers. But where we are now, I have no idea."

Tao looked north, seeing the mushroom cloud rising over the Institute and Kamakura slowly drifting northward in the wind, away from them toward the ruins of Tokyo. "Good lord," Tao breathed. "How did we escape that?"

"I have no idea," Susan replied. "But I know we should have been vaporized by that explosion, as close as we were when it went off."

"I agree," Tao stated. "We should be dead. But that aside the point right now. We're far from safe here; adrift in the largest ocean on the planet, and no one knows where we are."

"Don't worry about it," Lucy called out groggily, hearing Tao's last comment as she became conscious. "Izanami will not leave us to die on the open water. She'll bring help to us." Susan immediately helped Lucy find a better position on the driftwood raft. Lucy gritted her teeth as her aching ribs flashed with pain from the movement. When the pain subsided, she looked around, seeing where everyone else lay in respect to her. Instinct sent her vectors forth. She gathered her friends to her piece of driftwood, pulling them on their fragments of the boat to her piece of the boat. "Is everyone okay?" she asked.

"I've been better," Draco answered. "Where the hell are we, anyway?"

"Not a clue," Lucy replied, pointing to the dissipating mushroom cloud. "All I know is that the Institute is that way. How far away it is I have no idea."

Kohta moaned as he woke. "Did anyone get the license number of that aircraft carrier that ran us down?"

"No, Kohta," Tao stated, "But we somehow survived it."

A relieve look fell over Lucy's face. "Are you okay, Kohta?" she asked bluntly.

"I'm not going to be pretty, but I'll live," Kohta mumbled as his eye fell on Mayu. "Is Mayu all right?"

"Mayu's unconscious," Susan said, cradling the little girl in her arms, still wrapped up in the restraints from the Institute, minus the helmet. "She's got a bump on the head, but I think she'll be all right. Her pulse and breath are still strong and regular."

"That's a relief," Kohta said, rubbing a bloody spot on his head. "It seems she fared better than most of us."

"Is Tanya all right?" Draco asked, not seeing any signs of life from her.

Lucy reached out with a vector, pulling Tanya closer. She laid the royal down next to her on the driftwood raft, examining her.

Tanya groaned. Her eyelids flickered, and then opened. Her first view was of Lucy hovering over her. "She's alive," Lucy announced. "But she needs medical attention, more than I can give her here in my weakened state. Are you all right, Tanya?"

"What do you think, Lucy?" Tanya hissed. "I'm in so much pain I'm about to go nuts. If you have a shred of compassion in you, please do something about it."

Lucy nodded, using her vector to unhook Tanya's pain receptors. "Is that better?" she asked.

A deep sigh of relief hissed from Tanya's lips. "Thank you, Lucy. How did you become so kind?"

"Kohta, Mayu, and my friends taught me there is a better way to live than that of the Fury," Lucy stated. "You don't have to be a slave to the Fury."

"I believe you," Tanya muttered, slipping unconscious.

Lucy sighed, looking around at her friends as they bobbed in the ocean. "The problem is we're not done yet," she announced.

"But you killed the King of Furies," Draco stated. "Didn't you?"

"No," Lucy answered. "That stupid fuck, Bandoh, killed him, and in the process, ruptured the Collective. But he managed to stop it up before it could leave the Institute."

"You're kidding?" Li Mei asked, having just awakened. "Please tell me you're joking."

"She isn't joking," Kohta said grimly. "I saw it happen. Bandoh tried to plug the hole with himself. But I fear his patch isn't going to hold for long. What I suspect is that when the Institute blew, it stunned the Fury because it had a hole in it in the form of Bandoh. We must go into the Collective and finish this now."

"You're right," Lucy said coldly. "We need to go in. But we can't do it here."

"If not here, then where?" Kohta asked.

"I know where to go," Lucy said confidently. "We have a brief space to regroup while the Fury is stunned. The only problem is getting there. I don't have the strength to get us there by myself."

"Who said you were by yourself?" Charlene mumbled, awakening to considerable pain and numbness from the waist down. "By the way, can someone please shut down my pain receptors? I'm in terrible pain." Lucy nodded, using her vector to relieve Charlene's pain.

"Better?" Lucy asked.

"Much," Charlene answered with a relieved sigh. "But I think I've broken my back. I can't feel a thing below my waist. I think it happened when the King sucker punched us."

"Most likely," Kohta agreed. "We'll see about that as soon as we get out of this predicament."

"You mean if we get out of it," Draco corrected.

"You must have faith," Kohta reproved gently. "We haven't come this far to die now."

"Charlene's right about you not being alone, Lucy," Tao stated. "We're with you. And even more important, Kohta's with you. You have only to ask for our help."

Susan suddenly glimpsed a figure bobbing in the distance on a piece of driftwood. "Guys, I think I see someone else over there," she said, pointing to the west. "But I can't tell who it is."

Lucy looked, sensing a familiar, but faint signature in her diclonius telepathy. Seeing the figure, she reached out with a single vector, snatching the figure from a watery grave and pulling him to her. The moment her vector touched the figure, she gasped, knowing who it was. "Oh my god, it's Guildo!" she cried, pulling him to relative safety. Laying him on the large piece of driftwood she sat on, she noticed his badly burned state and tried to help him with her vectors.

"I thought he was dead," Kohta murmured weakly.

"So did I," Draco replied. "We thought he was a goner when that explosion overtook and separated us."

Guildo moaned as Lucy taxed her already spent strength reserves to heal him. "That's all I can do," Lucy moaned. "I'm spent."

Guildo's eyes cracked open, seeing Lucy with an exhausted, but concerned look on her face. "I'm…alive?" he whispered.

"Apparently," Lucy answered. "We thought you were killed when the core blew."

"So did I," Guildo murmured. "Dimitri pushed me into a side room when the explosion collapsed the corridor, crushing and burning him to death before I knew what happened. Not being able to follow Draco and Tanya's path, I found another way out, finding our third team's skiff adrift thirty meters offshore. I managed to start it and get some distance from the shore when this glowing fog swamped me. I became light-headed and the last thing I remember is seeing the Institute explode. The next thing I remember is seeing your face, my Queen."

"I'm glad you're still alive, Captain," Tao called out. "Apparently, you had the same thing happen to you on the water that happened to us. None of us remember how we got way out here. I suspect Izanami and the Collective may have had something to do with it."

"May be," Guildo wheezed in pain. "If it isn't too much trouble, can someone shut off my pain receptors? I'm in terrible pain."

Li Mei reached over with her vector and relieved Guildo's pain. "There, is that better?" she asked.

A deep, relieved sigh hissed from Guildo's lips. "Thank you, Li Mei," he murmured just before passing out again.

"He's one lucky son of a bitch," Draco murmured. "Apparently, he must still have a role to play in what's to come. Otherwise, Izanami would have taken him."

"Seems so," Susan replied. "But we're not out of the grinder yet."

"That's true," Lucy agreed. "But there's not much we can do about it right now."

Kohta heard a murmuring roar over the waves and wind. It slowly grew louder. "Hey, do you hear that?" he asked. He looked up, seeing the sky darkening from the storm approaching from the southeast. The clouds had an unusual scarlet tint to them, reflecting the light from the setting sun.

The ocean itself began to murmur as the wind suddenly died. Lucy frowned, sensing something dangerous at a distance. Whispers echoed from the deep, rattling the nerves of those floating on the wreckage. "Something's wrong," Lucy announced. "But I can't tell what it is or where it's coming from."

"I feel it too," Li Mei answered. "I think we're in trouble here."

Kohta became intent on the approaching storm. The clouds boiled in a way that seemed familiar to him. "What is it, Kohta?" Tao asked. "You seem distracted by that storm."

"There's something vaguely familiar with those clouds," Kohta murmured. "But I can't seem to put my finger on what it is."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Draco replied. "What does concern me is that." He pointed to the west at an unusually dark fog bank that approached them against the wind. Every so often, a glowing flash would streak through it. "That's not a normal fog bank. It's moving towards us, against the wind. When I look at it, I feel like it wants to suck my soul from my body."

All eyes turned to the strange fog bank. Dark despair fell into their souls when they saw it. "What is that?" Kohta asked, suddenly becoming terrified of the fog without adequate reason.

"I don't know," Charlene answered, her tone shaking. "I certainly don't want to find out."

"How far is it?" Lucy asked, keeping a cool head despite her rising fear. "Can anyone tell?"

"Seems to be about two kilometers away," Tao estimated. "At its present speed, it'll overrun us within twenty minutes."

A bone-rattling peal of thunder from the southeast drew everyone's attention away from the ghostly fog bank. Lightning flashed through the clouds as the edge of the storm cloud crossed their position. The sea became still as glass. The whispering from the ocean became an audible murmur. "Do you hear that?" Draco asked. "It sounds like the ocean is talking, but I cannot understand a word it's saying."

"I agree," Susan mumbled, dazed from her shock. "It's maddening. I wish they'd just shut the hell up."

"Me too; would you just please shut up!" Tao shouted at the sea.

Lucy frowned at the voices, her ire rising. "Silence!" she screamed at the voices when she could take no more. To everyone's amazement, the maddening voices rising from the deep went silent. "That's better. Now I can think," Lucy mumbled. She turned her head to the strange fog and growled, sensing a hostile intelligence behind it.

"What's the matter?" Kohta asked.

"I don't like that fog," she hissed. "It's unnatural; it may even have something to do with the Fury. We should not let it touch us."

"But how can we escape it?" Draco asked wearily. "We're adrift and wounded without the strength to fight off a direct attack from the Fury."

"I don't know," Lucy answered glumly as the fog came within a kilometer of their position. "I just know that we can't let that shit touch us."

"We just can't sit here and wait for it to get us," Draco insisted, letting his fears run free.

"What do you expect me to do?" Lucy snapped. "I'm exhausted and don't have the strength physically to keep us ahead of the fog for long."

As she was rebuking Draco, Kohta saw something strange happening between them and the fog. He blinked, rubbing his eyes, and looked again. "Guys, something's happening here," Kohta announced, pointing towards the fog. "Look!"

Once again, all eyes looked towards the fog. The water six hundred meters away from them began to bubble and churn in a line from horizon to horizon. "What the devil?" Tao cursed as a glowing fog rose out of the boiling seawater. Another peal of thunder drew their attention to the storm as it encompassed their entire 360-degree view.

Kohta looked up seeing the clouds swirling like a hurricane, churning and boiling in a maddeningly familiar way. The wind rose slightly, stirring the stagnant air. Lightning flashed from cloud to cloud. Kohta's eye turned back to the boiling sea several hundred meters from their position, feeling heat emanating from the seawater. The glowing fog rising from the boiling sea created a wall between them and the approaching dark fog. "Something strange here," Kohta declared, his irrational fear waning with the appearance of the new fog. The churning sea created a current that pushed their driftwood wrecks away from the approaching dark fog. "We're moving away from the fog," Kohta observed. "The water is moving us."

"That it is," Tao agreed. "But we're still not safe. Look!" Tao pointed to the east, to a large school of sharks approaching their position.

"Damn it!" Lucy growled. "Our blood must be attracting them."

"Everyone stay together," Kohta ordered. A low moan echoed over the sea as a face appeared in the glowing fog wall.

Li Mei saw the apparition. "Oh my god, it's Master Akira!" she cried, pointing at the face. Everyone looked, seeing the ghostly face grow a twenty-foot body.

"By the Collective," Draco breathed. "Am I delusional, or is that Akira?"

"It's a ghost!" Susan cried in terror.

"It's Akira," Lucy declared. "What do I do, Master Akira? The sharks are coming; I'm exhausted, and out of options."

Akira's ghostly face smiled and he pointed to the east, in the direction of the sharks. His smile calmed Lucy's fears and hope arose. The Ghost of Akira melted back into the glowing fog as the wind from the storm arose. A bone-rattling peal of thunder shook them as a funnel cloud formed to their west over the black fog. "The sharks are leaving!" Charlene called out over the rising wind, seeing the sharks scattering to the four winds. Rain began to sprinkle the castaways.

"Hell with the sharks," Draco retorted. "There's a tornado about to touch down where that evil fog is."

They watched the funnel cloud grow in size just beyond the wall of glowing fog. The sprinkle of rain became a downpour as the wind rose to gale force. "Hold on to whatever you can!" Lucy barked. "I'll try to keep us together with my vectors." The waves quickly rose to six feet. The tornado abruptly touched down a kilometer from them in the dark fog, becoming a monster waterspout a kilometer across. A shriek of fury echoed in their ears from the dark fog.

"My god," Kohta breathed, seeing two ghostly forms in the waterspout funnel. He blinked, wiping the water out of his eyes to make sure he was seeing true. "Lucy, do you see that, or am I going crazy?" he asked, pointing out two blurry, monstrous figures battling in the tornado; one of darkness, and the other of light.

Lucy gawked. "I do, but I'm not sure I believe what I'm seeing. It's like that dream of the beast and the angel fighting."

"It is!" Charlene cried out. "It's them! We have to get away from here or we're dead!" Lightning flashed and thunder rattled their bones with every clash they saw in the fight. The sea between them and waterspout where the glowing fog stood churned with ever-increasing violence. The bubbles pushed up the ocean water three meters in height that flowed away with greater speed. The waterspout began to draw the glowing fog into its funnel with the dark fog, sending the battle between the supernatural figures into a new level of violence. Concussion blasts began flying from the hits between what the castaways saw as two storm gods battling for supremacy.

Kohta noticed the increase in speed of the current of water moving them away from the waterspout and the clash of the storm gods within the funnel. "We're moving away," Kohta shouted over the din of the storm. "It's as if we're being pulled away from the tornado by the ocean itself. What's going on here?"

"I don't know," Susan answered. "But I feel something coming up from beneath us." She paused, and then added, "I feel live diclonius presences beneath us in the water."

Lucy gasped. "So do I. Something is coming up beneath our feet! Be on guard, everyone!"

Those who were capable of defensive measures readied themselves as the water began to rush up beneath their driftwood rafts. Moments later, a periscope broke the surface twenty meters to their east. In seconds, the conning tower of a massive submarine broke the surface, rising fifty feet before the driftwood rafts became stranded on the broad hull of the Chimera. "It's Fargo!" Charlene cried when she saw the conning tower break the surface. Everyone gawked at the aircraft carrier-sized submarine picking them up out of the water.

"Oh thank the gods!" Susan cried in stark relief as the winds rose to fifty kilometers an hour, driving the rain into stinging sheets.

Within a minute of surfacing, Fargo led Nana and a rescue team on to the deck of the Chimera. Lucy noticed the extremely relieved look on Fargo's face as he approached. "You gave us quite a scare, my Queen," he shouted over the rising tempest. "Come, let's get everyone below decks, and get the hell out of here. This storm is supernatural."

"Took you long enough, Captain," Lucy answered with a bit of sarcasm.

"We thought we'd lost you when the Institute blew," Fargo answered, helping her up as Nana went to Kohta, assisting him. The remaining members of the rescue team grabbed the other survivors and led them down into the Chimera. "But you can thank Nana for us finding you," Fargo stated, his face grimacing in the stinging rain. "Somehow, she knew exactly where to look."

"Really," Lucy replied with surprise as Fargo helped her from the deck, with them being the last to enter the Chimera. As soon as everyone got inside the airlock, a grievous hail the size of baseballs fell from the storm, driven into a lethal spray by seventy kilometer and hour winds. Lucy felt an all too human chill race down her spine. "Holy shit!" she cursed at the hail.

Fargo's mouth fell open as he saw the hail, and then the battle between the dark and light storm gods in the waterspout. "Dear god have mercy!" he breathed, touching the control that sealed the airlock. Once inside the ship, Fargo secured the hatch and said into the communicator, "Get us out of here, Chris. Lucy and her family are safely on board."

"Aye sir," Chris' voice echoed through the loudspeakers. "We are so out of here."

Lucy felt the ship dive as Fargo led her to the infirmary. The sound of the hails beating on the hull subsided into silence a few moments later. "Looks like we got to you just in time," Fargo said. "I'm certain that's no ordinary storm. I think the Collective has something to do with it, especially after seeing those two figures fighting in the waterspout. I did see that, didn't I? It looked like two storm gods going at it."

"You did, Captain," Lucy stated coolly. Then in a warmer, grateful tone, she added, "Thank you for rescuing us. We definitely wouldn't have survived had you not showed up. I had no idea what to do. I'm exhausted and wounded from our fight with the King."

As Fargo helped Lucy into the infirmary, he asked, "What happened? I felt it when the Collective ruptured. How could that happen?"

"Bandoh killed the King," Lucy hissed. "Apparently, that was the King's plan all along. He knew that he needed a hybrid to breech the Collective. When Bandoh killed him, that's exactly what happened."

"That son of a bitch!" Fargo cursed as Lucy sat down on a bed with a groan, Fargo helping her sit down. "But why did the Fury stay on the island? It felt like something was keeping it contained."

"When Bandoh realized his fuck up," Lucy continued, "he sacrificed himself to contain the King and the rupture until the core blew. Somehow, he had the power to resist the entire Fury of the Collective."

"So when the core blew, the explosion stunned the Fury," Fargo surmised.

"Apparently," Lucy stated. "But that patch he created isn't going to last long. We have a small window to take care of this problem before the Fury breaks out again. If we miss this time, we're all dead. I suspect what we just saw is just a taste of what will happen if the Collective fully breaks into this world."

"Then let's get the job done," Fargo insisted. "What do you need me to do?"

"We can't just attack the Fury from anywhere," Lucy informed. "We need to go to where Izanami went after the incident with Rayden. We need to go to the source of the Collective."

"Is there such a place?" Fargo asked. "I'd heard myths and legends about it, but figured it was just a fairy tale."

"It's no fairy tale," Lucy stated. "I know where it is now. Bring me a map and I'll show you."

"Right," Fargo said. "Can you give me a general idea of where it is so I know which chart to bring?"

"It's roughly 300 kilometers south of Tokyo," Lucy said as Dr. Quang approached with a scanner.

"I'll go get the charts," Fargo stated, leaving for the bridge.

"I'll be here," Lucy replied wearily.

Dr. Quang scanned her with a Geiger counter. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Checking to see if you received any radiation from the core explosion," the doctor replied softly. "Hmmm, it's just as I thought. You have some contamination, but it's not as bad as it could have been. Come, let's get you decontaminated. Once you're decontaminated, we'll check you for wounds."

"How do I decontaminate?" she asked.

"A good long shower," the doctor said. "Come, I'll help you."

"How's Kohta and the rest of my friends?" Lucy asked as the doctor helped her to the decontamination chambers in the infirmary.

"They're being decontaminated and treated as I speak," Dr. Quang stated as they reached a heavy door that was open. The sound of running water came from inside. Lucy hesitated at the door. "What's the matter, Lucy?" the doctor asked.

"I don't want to go in there," she stated bluntly. "This door reminds me too much of the Institute."

"Ah," Dr. Quang replied. "I understand. You fear being locked in. It's perfectly understandable. This door will remain open as long as you and your friends are in there. In fact, I'll be in there with you. We only close this door in the case of a radiation event on the sub. It's the only radiation-proof section on the Chimera."

Nana appeared in the doorway with Dr. Ravenclaw. "Lucy, you should shower and change your clothes," Dr. Ravenclaw stated. "The longer you're in contact with those contaminated clothes, the greater chance you have of radiation poisoning."

"It's okay, Lucy," Nana said. "Kohta and everyone else are in there getting cleaned up."

"Kohta, are you in there?" Lucy called out.

"Yes, Lucy," Kohta replied. "I'm getting a much needed shower as I speak. It's safe to come in here. Besides, it's not like we couldn't get out of here if we wanted to."

"She does have a point," Dr. Quang said as a nurse walked up. Turning to the nurse, he ordered, "Nurse, get Lucy and her friends a fresh change of clothes. I'm going to have to decontaminate too since I helped Lucy. Also, tell Captain Fargo he need to come in here to wash up too since he had direct contact with Lucy."

"Yes, doctor, right away," the nurse replied, heading out on a mission.

"So, shall we?" Dr. Quang asked, gesturing to the showers through the door.

"Okay," Lucy replied, sensing Dr. Ravenclaw's feelings about the unit. "Just leave the door open."

"Absolutely," Dr. Ravenclaw agreed, heading back to the showers.

Nana took Lucy by the arm, helping her to the showers. "It's all right, Lucy," Nana chimed. "These are special showers. That's why they are in here. All our friends are in here getting cleaned up."

"Okay, Nana," Lucy said softly as they reached an abandoned stall.

"The doctor says to run the water as hot as you can stand it and wash every inch of your body thoroughly to make sure the radioactive dirt doesn't stay on you," Nana stated.

"Okay," Lucy stated. "What do I do with my clothes?"

"Just toss them in that bag there," Nana said, pointing to the empty trashcan sitting just inside the dressing area of the stall.

"Thanks, Nana," Lucy said as Nana smiled while stepping out of the stall, closing the door behind her.

Lucy turned to the shower stall. "Yeah, a shower sounds good. I'm chilled to the bone from being adrift in the ocean." In seconds, she stripped and started to shower, decontaminating herself. At first, it felt very good. The hot water stimulated her blood. Then after ten minutes, she became very dizzy. "What the hell?" she growled, holding her head as everything spun. She staggered, trying to hold herself up. "Kohta, Nana…help!" she called out just as everything went black.

Mocking laughter echoed through the icy darkness that encompassed her. She looked around the cold void, not knowing which way was up, feeling everything spinning. "Ugh…stop spinning already!" she growled, holding her head.

"You cannot escape me," the disembodied voice of the King of Furies echoed in her head. "And if you think you're going to stop me from burning this planet to ashes, you're sadly mistaken and stupider than Bandoh."

The dizziness slowly ceased and she looked around, seeing the ghostly gaunt face of the King of Furies staring at her. When she saw him, her ire rose. "Still haven't learned your lesson, have you? This fight isn't over, not by a long shot. You may have gotten Bandoh to rupture the Collective for you, but you made a critical error in your plan."

"And what error would that be, bitch?" the King hissed.

"When Bandoh ruptured the Collective, he broke it where you and Izanami are in perpetual conflict," Lucy growled.

"And that means what?" the King asked coldly.

"It means that you're the stupid one," Lucy retorted. "It means that he let both sides loose on the world: your side and my side. The Fury may break out of the plug that Bandoh made, but in doing so, it's going to allow Izanami to come out as well to resist you."

The King's gaunt face darkened dramatically. "You may get out, but Izanami will get out too and we'll take your sorry ass down," Lucy growled. "Rayden will be reunited with Izanami, you will go back to that pit with your so-called brothers and sisters, and the Collective will finally be at peace with itself. Your fucking days are numbered."

"Arrogant little bitch," the King roared. "I'll make you eat those words."

"Not likely," Lucy replied as a flash of light intruded into the dark void. The King shrieked in pain, hiding his face from the light. "I have the help of an entire planet and you are alone, dumbass," Lucy crowed.

"Tell him, Lucy," Kohta crowed, standing next to Lucy in the void. Then to the King, Kohta hissed, "Get the hell out of here, you fucking prick. Leave Lucy and the rest of us alone forever, or so help me, I'll rip your dark heart out and burn it to ashes, just like you hoped to do to us. Now go!"

"This isn't over," the King hissed, vanishing into the darkness.

"You're right," Lucy agreed. "It isn't." Turning to Kohta, she said, "You came for me again. Thank you."

"How could I not?" Kohta said, putting his arm around her. "We are one. You are the Queen of the Diclonius Universe and I'm your king and lover. Come on, Lucy. It's time to wake up. We need to know where to go." With his words, he vanished with the void. The darkness warmed significantly as it lightened. Kohta's voice echoed in her ears, "Come on, Lucy, wake up. Please wake up."

With a gasp, Lucy snapped awake. Her eyes opened, seeing Kohta hovering over her with Nana. A second later, she realized that she lay in an infirmary bed wearing a plain gray dress. Moments later, she felt a snug wrap around her ribs. "Kohta," she murmured in a dazed fashion. "What happened?"

"You passed out in the shower before you finished decontaminating, so I had to help finish cleaning you up," Kohta said as Dr. Ravenclaw moved in next to the bed, scanning her with a Geiger counter. "Then we wrapped your chest. It seems you broke some ribs in the fight."

"You did a good job, Kohta," Ravenclaw congratulated. "She's clean…no contamination."

Lucy blushed. "Thank you, Kohta," she murmured, grasping his hand. "But why did I fall out like that? I suddenly got so dizzy that I couldn't stand up."

"Exhaustion and your broken ribs," Dr. Quang stated, walking up with a clipboard in hand. "You taxed yourself so deeply to save your friends that it and your wounds caught up with you in the shower. It's a level of diclonius power I've never seen exerted by anyone. The tests I've done show that you are still acclimatizing to the power levels of the Queen. If I may be so bold, your powers border on that of a goddess, if such a being were to exist."

"How long will I be wiped out by this?" Lucy asked wearily.

"I have no idea," Dr. Quang replied. "It could last hours, days, or weeks. But given your amazing ability to recover, you may surprise us again. I still can't figure out how you escaped the blast radius of the Institute without getting a lethal dose of radiation or worse."

"We may never know that," Kohta admitted. "I'm just glad that we survived."

"Amen," Nana chimed happily.

Fargo approached wearing a clean uniform, carrying a chart. "Excuse me, Lucy. But I have the navigation charts here. You said you knew where we needed to go. Can you point it out on this map?"

"I think so," Lucy said wearily. "Let me see it." Fargo unrolled the map for Lucy. He and Kohta held the map open for her. She scanned the map.

Fargo pointed to a spot thirty kilometers south of Tokyo, saying, "This is our present position, Lucy."

"Okay," she murmured. Her finger traced along the line of the Izu islands. When she reached Tori Shima, her finger drifted to the west-southwest roughly thirty kilometers. "The island is here," she said confidently. Fargo instantly marked the spot with a pencil. "The island is somewhat of a phantom island. No technology can see it and it only visible at sunset to the naked eye from the outside. Something about the makeup of the island causes it to have a natural cloaking ability."

"There's nothing there," Dr. Quang commented, looking at the map.

"Of course it isn't there," Kohta replied. "It's like she said; it's a phantom island. There are many uncharted islands in the Pacific. This is obviously one of them. The question is how long will it take for us to get there."

"At present power levels, we should make it there in roughly 12 hours," Fargo announced. "…maybe sooner if we can get the engines back to 100%."

"That'll be fine," Lucy answered with a yawn. "Kohta and I need some time to rest before we go into the Collective to finish this fight. Everyone should be on guard because I sense that Bandoh's plug will not hold for long. When it blows out, the Collective will flood the world."

"You mean the Fury will flood the world, right?" Nana asked.

"No, I mean the Collective," Lucy declared. "Apparently, when Bandoh ruptured the Collective, he did so in a spot where both the Fury and Izanami can get out. Yes, the Fury will get loose, but Izanami will also get out to resist it. The war that has gone on inside the Collective for 1700 years will spill into our world and most likely destroy it. I'm beginning to think the storm we barely escaped was a piece of the Fury and Izanami that leaked out with the initial breech before Bandoh sealed it back up. If that was just a small piece of the Collective battling for supremacy, then can you imagine what a full breech would do to our world?"

"It'll smash everything to bits and no one will be able to stop it," Fargo stated grimly.

"Exactly," Lucy replied. "But I can't be 100% sure that what we saw was a piece of the Collective."

"Makes no difference," Kohta declared. "We know Bandoh's plug won't last long, so we must be ready to stand in Bandoh's place when the time comes, to plug the hole."

"Yes," Lucy answered with a grim sigh. "If we can stop the Fury while it's still contained within the Collective, we can heal the breech and prevent it from destroying of the planet."

"Then we haven't a moment to lose," Fargo said. "If you will excuse me, I must set our course for Collective Island." He went to the bridge without another word, taking the chart with him.

"Collective Island," Ravenclaw mused. "I like that name. We finally have a place we can call home."

"I agree," Kohta murmured. "It's a crying shame that the world had to come to this in order for us to find it."

"A shame indeed," Lucy mumbled sleepily. "Can I go to my quarters now so I can get some sleep?"

"Of course," Dr. Quang said. "Kohta, you can take her back to your quarters now. Just be careful of her ribs. Don't do anything to upset them before they have time to heal, which shouldn't be too long given her accelerated healing ability."

Kohta nodded and picked up Lucy. She smiled, feeling safe in Kohta's arms. "Let's find you a soft bed." Kohta said softly.

"Wait, let me see Mayu," Lucy interjected.

"Of course," Nana said. "Follow me."

Kohta and Lucy followed Nana into another section of the infirmary where Mayu lay resting comfortably. When they entered, Mayu lay asleep with the nurses checking her vitals. "Oh, milady, Master Kohta," the nurse said with a start when she noticed Kohta holding Lucy and Nana standing next to them. "You startled me."

"How is she?" Lucy asked softly.

"Mayu's a strong girl," the nurse commented. "She's going to be just fine. But the restraints she was in caused her to lose the use of her limbs temporarily. She was in them for several days."

"Is she going to walk again?" Kohta asked.

"Of course, Master Kohta," the nurse chimed pleasantly. "Mayu just needs to get some rest, and with a little bit of physical therapy, she'll be right as rain."

"I'm glad to hear that," Lucy murmured.

Mayu moaned as her eyes opened. A broad smile crept across her face. "Lucy, Kohta…you came for me," she whispered.

"Of course we did," Kohta replied happily. "You're family."

"Thank you for saving me, Lucy," Mayu said softly. "I knew you'd come. I tried to talk that guy into letting me go and stopping his rampage, but he just wouldn't hear me. He was plum loco."

"You don't have to worry about him anymore," Lucy said severely. "We've taken care of him."

"You stop his madness?" Mayu asked.

"He's dead," Kohta answered. "Now we have to separate the King from Rayden in the Collective."

"Please be very careful when you do," Mayu begged. "Whatever that guy is, he isn't human or diclonius. I believe he may be a real demon."

"We already figured that," Lucy stated. "Now get some sleep. You've earned it."

Mayu smiled warmly. "I guess I have, haven't I? Looks like Kaeda was right. I just did what I always did, and this time, I made a real difference. Just before you come for me, I had him so mad at me that he lost control of his minions."

"Really?" Lucy asked, surprised by the revelation. "Well, you can tell us about it later. I need to go get some sleep, and so do you."

"Okay," Mayu chimed.

"And Mayu," Lucy added. "Thank you for showing me that we can live together without killing each other."

"You welcome, Lucy," Mayu murmured. With that, she drifted off to sleep again.

"Come on, Lucy," Kohta chimed. "We need to recharge before the final fight in the Collective."

"Yes," Lucy agreed. "Take me to our quarters."

"I'm going to stay here and watch over Mayu," Nana stated. Kohta nodded and left with Lucy, heading back to his and Lucy's quarters.

"You sure do have a nice family, Nana," the nurse complimented.

"That I do," Nana said. "It's the only thing that has kept us alive."

"I believe it," the nurse said as Nana sat down in a chair next to Mayu.

"Get better quickly, Mayu," Nana whispered, holding Mayu's hand as she slept.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: With the rupture of the Collective, strange events begin to unfold. The dark fog, the glowing fog, and the unnatural storm Lucy and her friends witness while adrift are just the beginning. Seems both the Fury and Izanami have escaped the Collective to wage their war on this plane. Will Lucy and her friends find Collective Island, the source of the Collective, or will Bandoh's patch on the Collective and the stunned Fury break before they do? If they find Collective Island, what will they find? Will they be able to stop the Fury permanently from there, or will it be their final resting place? Keep reading to find out. Reviews are always welcome. As always, be honest, but kind in your reviews.

Beowulf Caverias


	30. Chapter 30 Yuka's Reconciliation

Chapter 30

Yuka's Reconciliation

Kohta sat in the Officer's lounge of the Chimera with Lucy cuddled next to him, looking out the viewport into the ocean beyond. All manner of fish swam alongside the Chimera as it cruised towards the Collective Island coordinates. Dolphins darted around in front of the giant sub, picking off fish at will. A strange wail suddenly echoed through the sub. "What was that?" Lucy asked, puzzled and fearful at the eerie noise. Seconds later, two more wails rumbled through the lounge, as if in response to the first.

"I don't know," Kohta replied, staring into the deep.

"Whales," Dr. Ravenclaw announced, hearing the question as he entered the lounge to check on Lucy and Kohta. "Those are whales, most likely humpback whales, Lucy. They're talking to each other, maybe even to us."

"Really?" Lucy asked as she and Kohta turned to Ravenclaw. "I didn't know you could hear whales like that in here."

Ravenclaw smiled warmly. "Of course you can. The whale's song is a powerful sonic vibration. It will vibrate across the hull of the Chimera like a guitar string, amplifying it." He suddenly pointed to the viewport. "Come see for yourself. It looks like we've gained an escort."

Lucy and Kohta rose, walking to the viewport where Ravenclaw stood. At first, they only saw shadows. "Where are they?" Lucy asked eager to see a live whale in its native habitat. "I can't see them."

"Look closely, in the shadows, milady," Ravenclaw said, pointing to a shadow that grew larger by the moment.

"Upon my word," Kohta breathed, seeing the magnificent beast moving effortlessly through the water. "It sure is."

"Oh my god," Lucy cried with a gasp as the shadow resolved itself into a massive humpback whale. Seconds later, Lucy realized they were in a pod of whales with females and whale calves. "They're everywhere. Will they attack the ship?"

"No," Ravenclaw stated.

"I had no idea something so big could move with such ease," Kohta said, awed by the whales.

A whale bull swam close to the viewport, looking in at Lucy, Kohta, and Ravenclaw. Lucy gasped as it looked her right in the eye, and then sang its song. A smile crept across her face. "What a beautiful creature," she chimed, getting lost in the song. "…and so intelligent, too; I could swear that it's talking to me."

As the whale bull moved away from the sub, Ravenclaw said, "I think he might have been talking to you, Lucy. I suspect that bull is the leader of this pod of whales."

"He was checking us out, wasn't he?" Kohta asked.

"Most likely," Ravenclaw replied. "…which brings me to why I'm here; I need to check your bandages and those ribs, milady, if you please."

"Okay, doctor," Lucy said. "…though I am feeling much better than I did several hours ago when you guys plucked us from the ocean."

"That's good," Ravenclaw chimed. "And you, Master Kohta?"

"I'm feeling a lot better too," Kohta admitted. "But I still have just a bit of an ache in my ribs and left shoulder. It's not bad…not enough to keep me from moving around, just a lingering ache."

"Let me take a look," Ravenclaw ordered, using his hands to probe Kohta's ribs and shoulders. He pressed on the left shoulder just on the front below the joint and Kohta winced. "That hurts?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kohta growled as Ravenclaw pressed on the back of his rib cage on the left side, eliciting a groan.

"I take it those ribs are sensitive too, aren't they?" Ravenclaw surmised.

"No, you think?" Kohta replied sarcastically as the pain ebbed to a dull ache.

"You've healed at a remarkably rate," Ravenclaw said to Kohta. "But you're still not 100% yet. Keep that chest wrap on for now and try not to move that shoulder too much. It's still healing from the near dislocation in the battle."

"Yes, doctor," Kohta answered smartly, holding left shoulder with his right hand. "I must have hit it harder than I thought when the King sucker punched us."

"Maybe," Ravenclaw said. "Or maybe you hit it when the shockwave from the Institute swamped the skiff."

"Could be," Lucy agreed as Ravenclaw examined her.

"Do you have any complaints, milady?" Ravenclaw asked, gently testing her ribs.

"Ribs are still aching a bit," Lucy admitted. She groaned when Ravenclaw pressed on her back just below the right shoulder blade. "That's hurting like a son of a bitch since you touched it," she growled.

"Just as I thought," Ravenclaw stated. "Like Kohta, your rib damage is healing slower than the rest of you. You should keep that rib wrap in place for a few days and it should be okay. Just don't get thrown around in another fight, otherwise, those ribs could break again. Just take it easy, both of you."

"Well be fine," Lucy declared. "But thanks for the concern."

"I'm just looking after you," Ravenclaw stated, "After all, it's my job as a doctor to make sure my patients survive and heal properly."

"You're doing a good job, Dr. Ravenclaw," Kohta said gratefully. "We do appreciate your help."

"Thank you, Master Kohta," Ravenclaw stated. "I like hearing that sort of thing. It makes what I do worthwhile. Now why don't you two just sit down, watch the whales for a while, and listen to their songs. It's a wonderful way to relax."

"Sounds like good advice," Kohta agreed. "What do you think, Lucy?"

"Okay," she replied. "There's something strangely compelling in watching these animals. Makes me believe I made the right choice by choosing life for everyone."

"Amen to that," Ravenclaw crowed. "Well, I'll be off. I have other patients in need of my healing touch. Master Kohta, milady, good day." With a deep bow, Ravenclaw left them alone in the Officer's lounge.

Kohta and Lucy sat back down, watching the whale ballet through the viewport. After a few minutes of silence, Kohta said, "You know, three months ago, I never dreamed I would be here with you watching a pod of whales in their own element with nothing between them and us but a reinforced glass viewport. What a strange and wondrous fate has befallen us."

"I wouldn't call it wondrous," Lucy chided. "But you're right in saying it's a strange fate that has brought us to this point. I look at these whales and see pure life uncontaminated by the evil of the Fury. If we could only be more like these gentle creatures the world would be so much better."

"I totally agree," Kohta stated. "Even though these whales are just animals, they are as intelligent as we are and know how to live in balance with their world, unlike the human race. We all need to be more like these whales and live in balance with nature, not ravage and destroy it in the name of hate and profit."

Lucy smiled and cuddled close to Kohta. "What would you do to those who wreck that balance?" Lucy asked.

"Bring them to justice," Kohta stated without hesitation. "If there's anything that I've learned over the last two months, it's that the planet is not going to allow us to keep going the way we're going as a species. Either we learn to live in peace with the planet and each other, or we'll end up in the holocaust that the King wanted to unleash. We must learn from our mistakes or perish. There's just no other way."

"I agree," Lucy stated, "just as long as we can live in peace with no one trying to kill us."

"We shall soon see the end of this," Kohta stated. "When we yank the world back from the brink and show them a better way, we will have the peace we want."

"I sincerely hope so," Lucy murmured.

Kohta gave her a gentle squeeze with his arm. "So do I," he replied.

For a half hour, they stared out of the viewport at the whales and other aquatic life teeming around the sub. The whales' songs provided a peaceful lullaby to their tortured minds, sending them into a restful slumber.

In the darkness, Kohta heard a familiar voice calling to him. "Kohta, wake up, Kohta." He moaned and shifted position before opening his eyes. Lucy's face greeted him.

"Oh dear," he moaned, stretching. "Those whale songs just put me right to sleep."

"There's someone here who wants to talk to you," Lucy said calmly, pointing toward a figure in a wheelchair.

Kohta focused. His eyes grew wide as he sat up straight with a groan. He blinked, rubbing his eyes. Tears welled up in his eyes as he saw Yuka sitting in the wheelchair, wide-awake with a smile on her face. Kohta tried to speak, but his words choked in his throat.

"Sen wheeled her in here a few minutes ago," Lucy explained. "…and left because Yuka wanted to talk to us in private."

Tears dripped from Yuka's eyes when she saw Kohta's reaction to her presence. Opening her arms, she said, "Kohta, thank you for saving my life."

Kohta jumped from his seat and knelt at her feet, embracing her. She welcomed his embrace as he cried on her lap. "I'm so sorry for all the trouble I caused you. Can you ever forgive me?" he bawled.

Lucy watched with a bit of puzzlement, unsure as to why Kohta was acting this way. Yuka stroked his hair and back sympathetically. "Oh Kohta," she sobbed. "I had no idea how much you loved me as your sister, even if I am just a replacement for Kanae." Kohta looked up into her face, seeing absolute devotion and acceptance of him. "There's nothing to forgive," she murmured emotionally. "I know what you did, and how you saved me despite how I treated you. If there's any forgiveness to be asked for, it's me who should be asking. Can you and Lucy forgive me for the terrible way I treated you? I now understand where your heart is. I was blinded by rage and jealousy. How could I be so blind to what was right in front of me? If you want to see me as a replacement for Kanae, then I'm okay with that."

Kohta grasped Yuka's hand and held it to his cheek. "How can I not forgive you, Yuka? You are my blood, my cousin, and best friend. If I could forgive Lucy for what she did, then I certainly can forgive you, the one person who has always been there for me."

A relieved smile crossed Yuka's face. "I'm so glad," she sobbed softly. "You're the most important person in my life. I couldn't bear it if you didn't forgive me after I said I never wanted to see you again. I don't even know why I said that. It's terrible what anger and jealousy can make you do."

Lucy shook her head sympathetically with a smile. "We know that," Lucy said evenly. "Kohta has killed repeatedly to keep you and us from harm. If he didn't care, he'd have let you die at Kaeda House. But he didn't. He saved us all with his actions. He is the reason we sit here. But the question begs to be asked: what are your feelings about me, knowing I'm the one you believe stole Kohta away from you?"

Yuka looked Lucy square in the eye. Kohta opened his mouth, but Lucy said, "No Kohta, she must answer the question for herself without any pressure from you. Let her decide. The question belongs to her and her alone."

"She's right," Yuka said coolly. "The question is mine, and I must decide for myself how I feel about Lucy as my rival for your affections." Kohta looked down, fearful of Yuka's answer. Yuka looked Lucy in the eye again, staring deep into her soul. What she saw in Lucy frightened her: a person of incomprehensible power. But she also saw someone who sincerely wanted peace with her. "I fear you, Lucy," Yuka admitted. "I know what you are, and what you're capable of. I know that you have telekinetic powers, and that you can easily kill me with those powers. I simply can't compete with that." She turned to Kohta, and continued. "But, I have come to realize in this tragedy that Kohta was never mine to begin with. You snared Kohta when you two first met as children. And after what you two did for me, saving my life and releasing me from that hellish coma, I understood your power and love for me. You didn't have to come in my head and break me free of that hellish theater prison, but you did. With that, and all the other things I've heard you did for me after the shooting, I finally understood. Kohta, you loved us enough to go to war literally to protect us. How can I not love you for all you've done for me."

Kohta and Lucy looked at each other in astonishment. "You remember us breaking you out of that theater?" Kohta asked.

"I do," Yuka stated. "Even more, I remember what you showed me, at least some of it. I know Lucy saved your life with a transfusion that has made you like her, with telekinetic powers. I even remember that other one who looked like Lucy, but had those strange eyes. It was like looking at the entire universe at once. I have no idea who that woman was, but she has my thanks too. I'm not even sure if she was real. But I would like to meet her and thank her personally if she is real."

Lucy knelt next to Kohta, laying her hands in her lap. Looking Yuka in the eye, Lucy said, "This is something I never believed I would see. Yuka, you have redeemed the memory of your people. I now know without a doubt that what I am doing is right. You see, Yuka, when we last met, I was a fragmented personality, as you well remember."

"I do," Yuka stated. "I'm sorry I was so angry at you and said those horrible things."

"Don't dwell on it; it was said in the heat of your fury. I know what it's like to have anger and rage driving you more than you can realize," Lucy stated. "But since you were gunned down, I have healed my fragmented personality and know who and what I am."

"What are you, then?" Yuka asked cautiously.

"I'm the Queen of every diclonius on the planet," Lucy stated. "There are other kings and queens to be sure, but I'm the head Queen and Kohta is my King. Because of the gift I gave him, he has become the head King of our kind. Together, we are going to stop the killing and madness that led to your wounding. I hope that by solving the problem, which is a Collective problem, we can save both your kind and mine."

A puzzled look crossed Yuka's face. "I'm not sure that I understand. But I know you have a telepathic ability too. Can you show me?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Yuka declared. "If we are to be family, then there can be no secrets or lies between us. Kohta had it right all along. Please show me. Make me understand everything, but be gentle. I'm just human who is still weak from being shot and in a coma for weeks."

"Very well," Lucy answered. "You want answers. Answers I have, but I warn you, you may not like the answers you see."

"Makes no difference," Yuka stated. "I cannot be a member of this family if I'm left out of the loop. I think that's what made me so mad before. I don't want that to happen again."

"I can understand that," Lucy said. "Now just relax. If what I'm showing is too much for you to take, just say so." Yuka nodded and Lucy penetrated a vector into the memory sectors of Yuka's brain. Lucy revealed her essence as the true Queen to Yuka, as well as what had happened while Yuka was in the coma.

A mix of horror, grief, and rage filled Yuka's expression as she came to understand Lucy's life. Tears flowed from Yuka's eyes while uncontrollable sobs erupted. "Enough, no more! Please, no more!" Yuka begged.

Lucy retracted her vector without harming Yuka. "Now you see the horrors and hell that has been my life," Lucy declared coldly. "All I ever wanted was someone to love and accept me for what I am."

Yuka's mind reeled with the telepathic revelation. Looking Lucy in the eye, she bawled, "I am so sorry, Lucy. I had no idea what a hell your life had been before we met you on the beach. What you've endured is so terrible I can't find words to describe it."

Kohta put his arm around Yuka. "Now can you see why things are the way they are; Why I did what I did?"

"Oh Kohta," Yuka wept. "I can see it clearly now. You've always loved Lucy. It's as I suspected. You loved her from the moment you first saw her, even though she killed your father and sister. I still can't fathom why you'd love her after that, but I know you do."

"But there's more to it than that," Kohta said. "I forgave Lucy for that crime when I came to terms with that demon. Lucy never was a bad girl. She wasn't evil, just a product of an evil society who shunned and rejected her."

"Yes," Lucy agreed. "I never wanted to kill. But things never worked out that way for me and I became a victim of my own rage and fury, the same fury that is trying to destroy the world as we speak."

Yuka's pity for Lucy's traumatic life overrode her jealousy of Lucy. The love she felt for Nyu spilled over to Lucy. "Nyu was such an innocent soul. I suppose if I had been abused the way you were, I'd have a multiple personality too. But I see something profound here, Kohta. Lucy was a dangerous animal because of what happened to her. Yet your unrelenting love for her made her made her a human again." Lucy frowned at the comment as Yuka gasped, the weight of her statement finally sinking in on her. Yuka looked directly at Kohta, crying, "Oh my lord, you saved her. You turned a vicious, dangerous animal back into a human being, and in doing so, you saved all our lives." Seeing Lucy's frown, she added, "Please don't be mad because I called you a dangerous animal initially, Lucy. What I meant is that you were acting like an abused animal. From what you showed me, you only killed when cornered and abused. The same thing happens with any animal that is cornered. But Kohta brought you out of that darkness into the light. I understand yours and Kohta's place now. As I told you just before I was shot, people can't always help who they fall in love with, and things don't always go as we want them too. You saved my life, Lucy. Thank you. For that, I bear you no ill will. Kohta was never mine. You had him from the beginning. I've come to accept that. I only ask that you take good care of my Kohta. I just hope you can accept me after everything I put everyone through."

Lucy's frown softened. "I must admit, I don't like being called an animal. But you're right. Before Kohta, I was acting like an animal. His humanity brought me back from the brink of destruction. After everything that's happened, you needn't worry about my acceptance. You are my friend and sister. We are family, as Kohta says. And as a family, we stand together or fall together."

A smile crossed Yuka's face. "Thank you, Lucy. And please thank Nyu for me too. It was her innocence that showed me you weren't a bad person."

"Nyu appreciates that," Lucy replied softly, letting some of Nyu's innocence rise to the surface. "Even though Nyu is completely integrated now, I still can let her do some things. Would you like to speak to her?"

Kohta's face rose with surprise. "You can let Nyu out? I thought once you integrated that Nyu would never be able to manifest physically again."

"Shows what you know, Kohta," Lucy cackled gleefully. "We put the pieces back together. But I can still let them out if I want to. Do you want to see Nyu again?"

"Yes," Yuka replied. "I long to look into her innocent eyes again."

"Sure, it's the least I can do for you showing me I made the right choice to save humanity," Lucy stated. "Just give me a moment."

They watched as Lucy's demeanor changed in an instant. Her face softened from the hard warrior queen look that Lucy had become to the soft childlike innocence of Nyu. Her eyes grew bright and sparkling. "Nyu?" Nyu chimed, blinking. She looked at Kohta with a huge smile. "Kohta! Nyu love you, Kohta! I happy you still alive."

"I love you too, Nyu," Kohta replied pleasantly as Nyu kissed him on the cheek.

"I know," Nyu chimed. "But Lucy also love you. Lucy love you more than she love anyone else. You save her soul, Kohta."

Yuka felt her ears turning red as her jealousy rose again. "Nyu, is that you?" Yuka asked, trying to mask her jealousy.

Nyu turned to Yuka with bright, shining eyes full of joy. "Yuka okay!" she crowed, throwing her arms around Yuka's neck.

Yuka felt her jealousy fade away as smoke in the wind. She returned the hug. "Yes, Nyu, I'm okay, thanks to you, Kohta, and Lucy."

Nyu hovered just inches in front of Yuka's face with Nyu's trademark smile. "I so glad," Nyu murmured. "Kohta love Yuka, so I love Yuka. You nice to Nyu, Lucy, and Kaeda. Please don't make Kohta cry again. He love you so much."

Yuka felt shame for her actions before the shooting. "No, Nyu. I won't make Kohta cry again. I acted badly before. It won't happen again."

Nyu pressed her face against Yuka's face, cheek to cheek, as she hugged her again. "I so happy. We all so happy you live. You love Nyu?"

"Yes Nyu," Yuka said, Nyu's innocence uncovering what Yuka really felt about Lucy. "I love you, and Lucy too. You're my sisters." Nyu backed off, staring into Yuka's eyes. "Oh Nyu," Yuka murmured, "how I've missed your eyes and your love of life. Please show Lucy how to have fun, okay Nyu?"

"Nyu love to have fun," Nyu chimed. "Nyu been helping Lucy learn to have fun already. Kohta asked Nyu to teach Lucy how to love life. I not very smart, but I love life. Kaeda and Grandma Lucy help Lucy to know how to be human too."

"Grandma Lucy?" Kohta asked. "Who's that, Nyu?"

Nyu turned to Kohta with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Kohta already know Grandma Lucy. Who do you think made Kohta the big King?"

"Ahh, you're talking about Izanami," Kohta chimed once he realized about whom Nyu was talking.

Nyu turned back to Yuka and kissed her on the cheek. "Nyu have to go now. If you want to talk to Nyu, just ask Momma Lucy. She let you." Nyu's soft, brilliant face melted away as the warrior Queen of Lucy returned.

Lucy backed away, settling on her knees beside Kohta. She shook her head for a moment. "Whoa, that was strange," Lucy commented.

"What was strange about it?" Kohta asked.

"That's the first time I purposely let Nyu come forward like that," Lucy said. "It reminded me of when I was fractured, but this time was different. I remained in control all along. It's kind of like I was channeling her, plus it took a fair amount of effort to do it."

"I can see that," Kohta replied.

"Thank you, Lucy," Yuka said softly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I appreciate seeing Nyu one last time. It means she's not gone forever."

"Nyu's never gone," Lucy stated. "She lies just below the surface waiting to help me when I need it. She has remarkable power that I never realized she existed. It's her innocence and love of life that keeps me rooted with Kohta."

"I can see that," Yuka stated. "Can I ask you two to do something for me?"

"Of course, what is it?" Kohta asked.

"I still have a jealous streak in me," Yuka admitted. "When I saw Nyu kiss Kohta, I felt it rise despite the fact I know you love Lucy and Nyu. Could you try to keep the romantic stuff to a minimum while I'm around? It reminds me of what I'm missing out on."

Lucy looked at Kohta with a puzzled look. "What do you mean?" she asked Yuka.

"Just try to keep the passionate stuff away from me, please?" Yuka begged.

"I know what she wants, Lucy," Kohta said. "She doesn't want to watch us make out. I think we can do that. How about you, Lucy?"

"I guess so," Lucy replied. "If it will help keep the peace, then I'll keep a dignified front while Yuka is in the room. Is that okay?"

"Quite," Yuka stated happily. "In time, I will get a handle on this jealous streak of mine, and maybe then it won't bother me as much."

"I'm sure you will," Kohta said, patting her on the knee before sitting back down on the large seat he and Lucy shared earlier. Lucy followed suit, sitting next to him. She reached out with a vector, gently drawing Yuka over closer to them.

"Are you doing that?" Yuka asked Lucy.

"Yes," Lucy stated as Yuka rolled up next to Kohta. "Does it bother you?"

"It's just a little disconcerting," Yuka admitted. "But I'm not going to complain. It's just going to take a while for me to get use to it."

"It won't take as long as you think," Kohta declared. "You've accepted Lucy and me for what we are now. You'll get along just fine. By the way, have you ever seen whales up close in the water?"

"No," Yuka replied.

"Well just look out the viewport there," Kohta chimed, pointing at the pod of whales outside the sub. The whales suddenly started singing again.

Yuka's eyes grew wide as she saw the whales moving effortlessly through the water. When their song reached her ears, she gasped. "Oh goodness, is that the whales talking?" she asked.

"Yes," Lucy replied. "Before you came in here, the whales had sung us to sleep."

"That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard," Yuka chimed. "And I never realized how big they were. They're gorgeous."

"No arguments there," Kohta agreed.

For twenty minutes, they watched the whales and other aquatic life outside the sub swim along as an escort. Then out of the blue, Yuka asked, "Kohta…where are we going?"

"We're heading toward the fabled Island of the Collective," Kohta stated. "It's where Izanami went after she stopped her brother from killing a village 1700 years ago. It's supposed to be where the Collective, as we know it, originates."

"What is that?" Yuka asked. "Lucy didn't show me that part."

"The Collective is the diclonius hive mind, Yuka," Kohta explained. "It's how the diclonius can do what they do, how they are connected to one another, and why they're so violent and unpredictable. You see, the Collective is out of balance because of an event that took place over 1700 years ago with Izanami and her brother. The same fiend that caused Izanami's brother to go nuts controls part of the Collective and fights constantly with Izanami." Kohta saw the confusion on her face and added, "Izanami is the one Nyu called Grandma Lucy. Izanami and her brother were the first diclonius to be born on this planet."

"Wait a minute," Yuka interjected. "You're talking about that girl who looked like Lucy, but has those strange eyes, right?"

"That's right, Yuka," Kohta stated. "She became involved in your plight because of my involvement with you as your cousin and best friend. She showed us how to break you out of that hell."

"It's a shame I cannot meet her," Yuka replied. "If she was the first of Lucy's kind, then surely she is dead."

"In a way," Lucy said softly. "But in a way, she still lives in me, and every diclonius."

"How so?" Yuka asked, wanting to know everything. With that, Lucy and Kohta explained to Yuka what the Collective is and how it affects every diclonius. When they finished, Yuka shook her head sadly. "I still don't understand it," she admitted. "But I will not dismiss it because of what I've seen. Can you really straighten out this problem you say is in the Collective?"

"We hope so," Lucy answered. "The bastard that was ultimately responsible for your present condition is still in control inside the Collective. That's why we're going to the Island. There, we are close enough to Izanami to launch an attack that will heal the Collective of this insane rage."

A deep, troubled sigh rose from Yuka. "Am I the only normal human left?" she asked without warning.

"Oh heavens no," Kohta replied strongly. "More than half of the people on this ship are pure humans, just as you are. Saito Murata and Emperor Watanabe are human, just like you."

"What about Mayu?" Yuka asked. "Is she still a human?"

"Absolutely," Lucy declared. "And I wouldn't have it any other way. Mayu was a true friend while we were on the run. She taught me what true friendship means."

"Then why is she in the sick bay?" Yuka demanded.

"She's had a rough time, like we all have," Kohta stated. "But she proved to be a powerful player when we stopped the King."

"You know why," Lucy said tartly. "I showed you what happened. Her imprisonment at the Institute by the rogue King is the reason she's in sickbay. All she needs is some rest and therapy and she'll be just fine."

"Oh, right," Yuka blurted out. "I remember now. Thank you for going after her. She's still just a little girl. I owe her just as much as anyone here."

"She's part of our family, just as you are," Lucy answered. "Many people bled and died to keep you, Mayu, Nana, and the rest of us safe."

Yuka felt a prick of anger when Lucy lectured her. She sighed and turned her eyes to the whales outside the viewport.

"I know it's going to take time to adjust to this new reality," Kohta said. "But you're strong. You can do it. I believe in you. Your very survival shows how much of a fighter you are."

"True," Yuka said coolly. "But if you ever put us in danger like that again, I'm going to kick your butt!"

Lucy and Kohta looked at each other for a moment, and then laughed softly.

"I mean it," Yuka retorted. "Our family is all we have left, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let either one of you destroy it through stupidity."

"Now there's the Yuka I know and remember," Kohta crowed with delight. Yuka looked at him harshly and he sighed. "All right," Kohta said, holding his hands up in a peace gesture. "Whatever you say, Yuka; besides, I'm tired of running and fighting."

"Me too," Lucy agreed. "Let's just straighten out this mess and then we can live in peace."

"Do what you have to," Yuka declared. "Find the bastard you say did this to me and take him out."

"Oh, we will," Lucy answered. "That's a promise."

Yuka's harsh demeanor softened. A smile crept across her lips as a sigh rose from her toes. "It's so good to see friendly faces again and not an endless loop of misery that I couldn't understand." She looked at both Kohta and Lucy, saying, "Please don't let me do something that stupid again, all right? I knew the dangers, but I was so upset that I couldn't think straight. It never occurred to me that the same guys who hunted you, Lucy, wanted me dead, too."

"That's the unfortunate hand we were dealt," Kohta stated grimly. "But now that I think about it, I'm thinking not all of the rage you had that night may have been your fault. I sincerely believe that the diclonius Fury we've been fighting since that night may have had something to do with your irrational state that terrible night."

A gasp escaped Yuka's lips. "Oh my god, I remember!" she cried. "I was so mad that night that I snapped. It was as if something else was taking control. I said things and did things that I would have never done, and I've been trying to figure out why. I've never lost control like that before. It scared me, and still scares me. I don't want to ever be that mad again."

"Let me ask you something, Yuka," Lucy replied stoically. "When it happened, did you feel like you were watching someone else's nightmare play out and you were powerless to stop it?"

Yuka's face went ashen as she considered the question, fear rising in her features. "Yes," she whimpered as Kohta touched her on the hand. "It was as if some demon took control of me, making me say those horrible things."

"Did it feel alien?" Kohta asked.

"It did," Yuka admitted. "But I don't feel it now. What does it mean?"

"It means that you may have been the first human directly affected by the Fury," Lucy said. "The Fury attacked you in an effort to make me vulnerable. God, I'm so sorry you were caught up in this. I never meant for you to get hurt like that."

Yuka's ashen complexion changed in a blink as her face reddened with anger. "You mean that I was attacked by the part of your hive mind that wants all humans dead?" she asked, enraged by the news.

"Apparently," Kohta declared. "But you must control your anger, Yuka. If you let your anger fester, the diclonius Fury will infect you again, especially now that it is loose. It'll kill you just as quickly as Bandoh's bullets."

"How could you let this happen?" Yuka shouted. "It's all your fau…." She suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, feeling the alien nature of the Fury trying to penetrate into her mind through her anger. Confusion lit her face as she turned to Lucy and Kohta with a pleading look.

"You see it, don't you," Lucy said coldly, not happy with how Yuka exploded at them. "You see the Fury my kind has fought for thousands of years trying to seep into your mind, don't you?"

"Oh dear god," Yuka cried, tears flooding her cheeks. "What am I doing? This is insane! I suddenly wanted to kill both of you for no good reason because I thought you brought this misery on us."

Kohta patted her on the hand. "Now you see what we face," he declared. "It's that rage you just felt that caused our misfortune. Until Lucy and I go into the Collective and separate the chaos demon from Rayden, this poison will continue to spread over the face of the earth, killing everyone it infects."

"I've been angry before," Yuka whimpered. "But nothing like that. It made me feel icy and empty inside."

"That's the way the Fury affects human," Lucy said. "If allowed to build, it drives anyone it infects to self-destructive acts of extreme violence. We saw the Fury released in Tokyo. It turned people into raving zombie fiends. They killed each other with whatever they could use, including their bare hands and teeth. They lost what it was to be a human, becoming insane raging beast."

The news horrified Yuka. "Impossible," Yuka balked, unable to comprehend Lucy's statement. "Tell me it isn't true, Kohta. Please tell me Lucy is exaggerating."

Kohta sighed deeply. "I'm afraid not, Yuka. The insanity got so bad that they nuked nearly every city in Japan. It's nothing but a radioactive wasteland now."

"I don't believe you," Yuka cried. "It can't be true."

"Makes no difference whether you believe it or not," Lucy retorted. "The evidence is available on the Chimera's surveillance files of the cities. All you need to do is look for yourself."

"I think I will," Yuka declared.

"I would advise against it," Kohta said sternly. "All you will see in those files is the horrid death and destruction of a nation. I don't think you're ready to handle such horrors."

"I will be the judge of that, Kohta," Yuka replied coldly. "I have to know."

"You don't trust me," Kohta said softly. "After everything we've talked about, you still don't trust me."

Yuka looked him square in the eye, noticing the slight maroon tint to his eyes. "You're right, Kohta," she admitted. "You're the one who started this by lying to me in the beginning. I'm glad we've forgiven each other, but you must earn my trust again by telling me the full truth, no matter how bad it may be. If I see these files and see you and Lucy weren't exaggerating about Tokyo, then, as horrified and upset as I may get by it, you will have earned my trust. Wouldn't you do the same thing in my place?"

A wry smile crossed Lucy's lips. "She does have a point, Kohta. You had to do the same thing with my dark half. You had to earn her trust. If I were in Yuka's place, I'd insist on the same thing."

Yuka turned a surprised eye to Lucy, not expecting such support from her rival.

"I see your point," Kohta acquiesced. "Go and look at the files, if you must. But it will be as we told you. I hope then you can finally trust me."

"We shall see," Yuka said coolly. Then in a warmer tone, she added, "It's okay, Kohta. Just be patient with me. After all, I have been in a coma while all this happened. I have weeks of time to regain. God, it's good to look into your face again. I missed you."

"I missed you too," Kohta replied softly. "All I could think of was keeping you and Lucy safe when all this happened. Thank god we found friends to help us."

"Amen to that," Lucy agreed. "Now, let's just sit here and enjoy the spectacle outside that window. It's not often that I get to see real live whales swimming and singing to us."

A warm smile plastered Yuka's face. "That's a great idea. It's something about these gentle giants that makes me want to forget all the bad shit that's happened to us."

"Here, here," Kohta chimed pleasantly. "I just wish Mayu and Nana were here to share this with us."

"So do I," Yuka murmured.

A/N: Yuka's convalescence is on the downhill swing now. She is awake and fully coherent, though she still has gaps to fill in from her coma. She remembers much more than she lets on. As she talks with Lucy and Kohta, her old personality rises from the ashes, showing her resilience and strength. Yet she has trouble grasping what truly happened to her. She wishes to regain her place as a leader in the family but finds that Kohta and Lucy have taken that spot. Moreover, she sees trust issues with Kohta because of the lies that led to her wounding. Will she truly forgive Kohta and trust him again, or will she forever be suspicious of Kohta's intentions? Will she finally comprehend the scope of what's happened to her and the world while she was in the coma? How will she deal with it? The Island of the Collective looms close with the final battle with the King of Furies on his own turf. How will she react to a battle that literally will decide the fate of the planet? Keep reading to find out how the Requiem ends: with salvation or annihilation. Reviews are always welcome. Be honest, but kind with your reviews.

Beowulf Caverias


	31. Chapter 31 Yuka's Possession

Chapter 31

Yuka's Possession

Kohta, Lucy, and Yuka sat in the Officer's Lounge watching the sea life outside the Chimera's viewport when Fargo entered. Seeing them watching the whales, dolphins, and fish swimming outside the viewport, he smiled, saying, "Magnificent, aren't they?"

Everyone turned to him as he approached. "Yes," Kohta stated. "They are. I marvel that they swim along with us like this. It's like they think the Chimera is a whale or something."

"That could be possible," Fargo said, leaning on the back of a vacant seat. "The engines tend to sound like a whale when engaged. It's one way we avoid detection, by sounding like something other than a submarine."

"I'm not so sure about that," Lucy retorted. "I think they're here because of me."

"Why do you think that?" Fargo asked.

"The bull swam right up to the window there, looked me in the eye, and then started singing like it was talking to me," Lucy declared.

"Really?" Fargo replied.

"Ravenclaw says they're escorting us," Kohta added. "But if they're escorting us, then where are they escorting us to?"

"I don't know," Fargo said, folding his arms across his chest. "It could be just coincidence that they're going the same way we are."

"I don't think so," Lucy stated evenly. "Something about these animals has me thinking otherwise. They've been following us for some time."

"So I've noticed," Fargo replied. "And how are you feeling, Miss Yuka?"

"I'm okay, I suppose," Yuka murmured. "I'm still trying to figure everything out right now. Is it true what Lucy and Kohta said about the people of Tokyo going crazy?"

"I'm afraid so," Fargo answered. "The diclonius Fury breeched our species because of the King of Furies, infecting nearly everyone in the greater Tokyo metroplex. They killed each other in an orgy of bloodletting that I hope I never have to see again."

"You're like Lucy, aren't you?" Yuka asked.

"Yes ma'am," Fargo said. "But I am just a lowly captain, whereas Lucy's our great Queen; the only one who can stop the fury that has plagued our kind for 1700 years."

"So I've heard," Yuka stated coolly. "Does this fury affect you too?"

"It affects every diclonius," Fargo said calmly. "However, we have found that we can fight against it. Love, friendship, and humanity are our greatest weapons against this viral insanity. We know and believe with all our hearts that my kind and your kind can live together in peace to the benefit of both. We don't have to hate and kill each other."

"Mmmm hmmm," Yuka mumbled. "Not everyone believes that, you know."

"That's true," Fargo declared. "There are people on both sides who believe the only answer is to kill the other side in a genocide that will tear the planet apart. It's that fear and hate that has destroyed many nations and peoples. But the people on this ship prove that we can live in peace. We balance each other out as races. Where we are weak, ordinary people like you are strong, and vice versa. We need each other."

"I believe you," Yuka replied. "You speak with such conviction and honesty. I had to hear it from someone other than Lucy and Kohta."

"I completely understand," Fargo said with a warm smile. "It's like not being able to see the forest for the trees. How do you feel about us, Miss Yuka? Do you fear us?"

"Yes," Yuka declared. "The power you and Lucy command is frightening to me. My fear of you is like being afraid of a lion or tiger. But you also had a hand in keeping me safe and alive, so I am grateful. It makes it a bit confusing because I don't know which way to go. I guess I just haven't been around your people long enough to really feel safe. It's going to take me some time to get over this fear."

"I see," Fargo stated calmly. "But you're not allowing your fear to drive you to an irrational hatred of us. You don't see us as monsters, do you?"

"No," Yuka said. "I can't after what Lucy and Kohta did to save me. How can I see them as monsters when they saved my life? Monsters wouldn't value life the way we do."

"That is so true," Fargo agreed. "I'm glad you don't see us as monsters. We may have vectors that make us much stronger than ordinary people, but we still have feelings and emotions just like everyone else. I hope you get to the point where you don't fear us. I know the little girl, Mayu, doesn't. She's proven to be a great friend to all on board the Chimera."

"How is she?" Kohta asked, sensing Yuka's next question.

"Mayu's doing just fine," Fargo reported. "In fact, I just came from checking on her and Myra. Mayu's still weak and needs help moving around, so Nana took it upon herself to help Mayu in any way she can. I've never seen such devotion to a human before, except for what I see between you and Lucy, Kohta."

"What do you mean?" Yuka asked.

"Nana has basically refused to leave Mayu's side since the rescue," Fargo stated. "It's like she's trying to make up for not being able to protect her before."

"Nana is Mayu's protector," Lucy said. "Izanami willed it. But I can see why she doesn't want to leave Mayu alone. I felt the same way with Kohta when he was wounded."

"Is Mayu awake?" Yuka asked.

"Yes ma'am," Fargo replied. "Right now, Nana's helping with Mayu's physical therapy. The King of Furies had her tied up so tight in those restraints that she lost the use of her limbs. But Drs Quang and Ravenclaw agree that the paralysis is just temporary. Mayu should have use of her arms and legs in a day or two."

"That's great news," Kohta beamed. "What about Myra? How did the reattachment of her arm go?"

"It went without a hitch," Fargo stated. "Master Akira and Dr. Ravenclaw reattached it right after it happened, and Dr. Ravenclaw has been giving her periodic treatments according to Master Akira's instructions. She's extremely fortunate to be alive."

"Akira did that before I gave him his final rights, correct?" Kohta asked.

"Indeed," Fargo said. "In fact, his helping re-attach Myra's arm was the last thing he really did before his passing."

"What happened to Myra?" Yuka asked, puzzled by the conversation. "Is she all right?"

"Certainly," Fargo replied. "But she may not have been had Lucy and Master Akira not intervened."

"What happened?" Yuka demanded.

"Jin snapped," Kohta said grimly. "The Fury took him and he tore off Myra's arm before anyone could stop him."

"Oh my god and she's not dead?" Yuka asked, horrified by the news.

"No, Yuka," Lucy stated calmly, "Myra's alive. As Fargo said, Master Akira and I intervened, saving her life with our abilities."

"But she's still weak from the experience," Fargo added. "It's going to take her some time to recover from such a brutal attack."

"Who attacked her?" Yuka asked.

"Jin did," Kohta stated.

"Who's this Jin?" Yuka asked bluntly, her anger reflected in her tone.

"You don't remember Jin," Kohta stated. "But he was the one who saved us when Kaeda House burned to the ground in the attack that put you in a coma."

"Is this Jin a diclonius?" Yuka queried.

"Yes, Jin was a very power diclonius warrior," Fargo declared. "He was a legend amongst us because of his power and prowess. But he succumbed to the Fury that is loose now, going on a killing spree that ended in the infirmary with the attack on Myra and Nana. As I said before, Myra's extremely lucky that Master Akira and Lucy were there to save her, otherwise, she would have died. Nana's lucky too, however she didn't get the brunt of Jin's attack because she's a diclonius. He specifically went after Myra because she was a human who's interfered with the King's plans."

"Did you kill this Jin?" Yuka blurted out, her face twisting in anger.

"Yes," Lucy replied coldly. "The same fury you felt a little while ago possessed him and we had no choice but to put him down. If we hadn't, he would've killed everyone on this ship."

"I'm glad you stopped him," Yuka murmured, her anger subsiding to a low simmer. "Seems I have much to learn about what's going on here."

"Don't worry about it," Kohta stated. "You'll be up to speed on everything before you know it."

"I intend to," Yuka replied sharply. "Everyone's telling me the whole world has gone to shit and hasn't shown me anything to really back it up. Mr. Fargo…Lucy and Kohta tell me that you have files on what happened while I was in my coma. Is this true?"

Kohta and Lucy cast worried looks at Fargo, who noticed it. "Yes, Miss Yuka," Fargo replied cautiously. "But I don't think it would be wise for you to look at them just yet. You've only just awakened from your coma, and are still weak from it. It may cause you undue distress that you don't need right now."

"So you're going to hide it too," Yuka hissed, her anger rising again.

"Not at all," Fargo said, "I'm just concerned about how it might affect you. The diclonius Fury is loose from the Collective and it's affecting normal people such as yourself now, not just us diclonius. We've seen that it affects normal people much quicker when they are fearful, enraged, or traumatized. I fear if you see those files, it'll traumatize you to the point it may enable the Fury to overtake you before we can solve the problem. Please, can't you wait until Lucy and Kohta rebalance the Collective? Then we can be sure that you will not be adversely affected by the Fury."

Yuka's face and ears reddened. "No," she balked angrily. "I want to see it now. I can't trust anyone until I know exactly what happened. Now are you going to show me or not?"

Fargo looked at Lucy with a pleading look. Lucy sighed and nodded. "Show her, Captain," she ordered. Then turning to Yuka, Lucy added, "But know you were warned when you find the world that you knew burned to ashes."

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Kohta declared.

"Me neither," Fargo agreed. "But if it'll show her that we're not lying and wish only to keep her safe, then I guess we must."

"I'll be the judge of that," Yuka hissed.

"I'll have Ron set up in my ready room," Fargo stated grimly. "Give us ten minutes, Miss Yuka."

"Very well," Yuka answered coolly. "Come get me when it's ready."

"Yes ma'am," Fargo answered, moving toward the exit. He stopped beside Lucy, who looked him dead in the eye. He nodded silently and walked out.

"I'd forgotten how stubborn you can be when you want to, Yuka," Kohta chided softly. "Is there any way we can talk you out of this? All we want is for you to put off looking at the files for a little while."

"You're one to talk, Kohta," Yuka retorted. "Wasn't it you who said we were not to have any lies between us as a family? If you don't let me see what happened for myself, I'll never trust you again."

Kohta squirmed at the statement, feeling his words coming back to haunt him. "You're right, Yuka," he said softly. "There shouldn't be any lies or omissions in our family. I just ask one thing of you as you see what's happened to our world."

"What's that?" Yuka asked coldly.

"Please don't blame Lucy or me for what happened," Kohta declared. "It'll be incredibly easy for you to blame Lucy because she's the Queen. But she's not to blame for this insanity. You must remember what we did for you as you watch that nightmare. I'm not going to lie. What you're about to see is going to be the most gruesome, horrid thing you've ever seen and it'll test you to your breaking point. We just wanted you to leave it alone until you were strong enough mentally to take it. But since you're insisting on seeing it now, I pray you'll not be taken by the impulse to blame us for this."

"We shall see," Yuka said icily. "I have to know who is responsible for my being here in this condition."

"The one responsible will be taken care of when we get to the Island, as I told you before," Lucy said in a stony tone. "I can see your anger, Yuka. With the Fury loose, it will seek to use that anger against you and rob you of your humanity. You must let go of your anger and trust us to set things right. It's apparently my penance to set this wrong right, as much as I wish it weren't. When you feel like you're losing control, and you will when you see those files, remember who you are and remember your love for Kohta and the rest of us. Your love will keep you from becoming what you are about to see."

"You two are genuinely afraid of what will happen if I see what happened; why?" Yuka asked, seeing the fear in Kohta's and Lucy's words and body language.

"We fear that we may lose you again," Kohta murmured. "And this time we may not be able to save you. We don't want that to happen."

Yuka's anger eased somewhat with the declaration. "Oh Kohta, you still worry about me after everything that's happened," she replied softly.

"I can't help it," Kohta stated. "You're the only blood kin I have left from my old life. I can't lose you again just when I got you back."

"You won't lose me, Kohta," Yuka answered. "I promise. If everything is as you and Lucy say it is, and I don't have a nervous breakdown because of it, you will have earned my trust. Please, you must trust me in this, Kohta. This is something I must know. Don't deny me the right to know what happened to me, please."

"It's hard," Kohta admitted. "I know what you're about to watch because I lived through it. Just don't let the Fury infect you when you do and blame us for this nightmare."

Yuka smiled. "How can I blame you? You and Lucy saved my life."

"It'll be easier than you realize to do that," Lucy said. "Don't give place to the voices in your head when they come, for they will destroy you as they've destroyed your world. I know that from experience."

"I won't," Yuka answered as Fargo returned with Suko and Ron.

"The files are waiting," Fargo said. "Suko will stay with you, as will Ron since he will operate the viewer for you. Shall we go?"

"Yes," Yuka replied. "It's time for me to see what happened."

"Suko…Ron, take Yuka to my ready room," Fargo ordered.

"Of course, Captain," Suko answered pleasantly. "This way, Miss Yuka." She took hold of Yuka's wheel chair and rolled her out of the Officer's Lounge, followed closely by Ron.

After Yuka left the room, Lucy ordered, "Watch her carefully, Captain. Her anger and jealousy may allow the Fury to infect her when she sees her world burned to ashes because of the King. If she succumbs, sedate and restrain her so she doesn't hurt herself or anyone else. Kohta and I will cure her madness like we did when we brought her out of her coma."

"I understand, milady," Fargo said. "You fear the same thing I do. We will do what we must to restrain her if it comes to that. I pray she's stronger than we think and keeps from becoming infected."

"Good," Lucy replied. "But you should know that she nearly became infected while talking to us before you came in. She caught herself in time, but I'm really concerned that she'll flip out when she sees how much damage the King did to her world."

"I see," Fargo answered. "She's not a hardened warrior like you or the rest of us. We will watch her very carefully. I'll have Dr. Quang keep an eye on her while she views those files. He's very good at dealing with irrational rage. Nothing will happen to her."

"That will do," Kohta said in a relieved tone. "Thank you, captain. You don't know what it means to me. I don't know if I could take it if I lost her again."

"You're not going to lose anyone," Fargo declared. "Not as long as Lucy and I are around. I must go now and alert Dr. Quang."

"Captain," Lucy called out as Fargo started walking away.

"Yes, Lucy," he replied, turning towards her.

"It might be useful for Kagami to be present there too," Lucy stated. "She's a hybrid like Kohta and has a way of calming the fury in people. I saw her do it to Jin a Byodoin. She may be able to calm Yuka if she becomes infected."

"That is a great idea," Fargo stated. "I'll make sure Kagami is there too." With that, he bowed and left the Officer's Lounge.

An uneasy look passed between Kohta and Lucy. "This is a terrible idea," Kohta complained. "Yuka shouldn't be looking at those files yet. She's just not strong enough to take it."

"I agree," Lucy stated. "But she insisted. What I fear is that the same fiend that imprisoned her in that theater might return to finish the job. That's why I asked for Kagami to be there. She has this way of dissipating the fury in people."

"I know," Kohta replied. "I just hope the fact that Kagami is Yuka's cousin too will help make a difference."

"That's why I wanted her to be there," Lucy said. "…because she is her cousin. I only hope that our precautions will keep you from losing her again."

"So do I, Lucy," Kohta replied. "So do I." He wrapped his arm around Lucy, pulling her close.

Laying her head on Kohta's shoulder, Lucy marveled when she murmured confidently, "Everything is going to be okay, Kohta. You'll see." A confident smile crossed her lips as she said it, a smile that strengthened Kohta's resolve. He smiled back with a knowing grunt and a gentle squeeze.

Deep in the dark side of the Collective, the King of Furies sat on a throne of diclonius skulls in a fortress consisting of the slain souls of countless diclonius in perpetual death agonies. Shrieks and cries of utter devastation echoed through the fortress, the walls of which bled continually. Faces and forms rose from within the walls, writhing in mortal agony and terror before melting back into the superstructure of the fortress. To the right of the throne stood a transparent crystalline pillar with a diclonius encased in it. The three-meter wide crystal pillar rose to the vaulted cathedral ceiling of the throne room, seeming to hold it up. The figure encased within the pillar looked out with a twisted expression of rage and pain. The King of Furies cast his black eyes to the pillar, his clawed hand tapping nervously on the skulls of the throne's armrest. Addressing his diclonius prisoner, he growled, "I have seriously underestimated your sister, the Queen, and that pest. They thwarted me at the Institute, but they will not win the war. I can feel the cracks in the Collective widening. It's only a matter of time before I can rip this place apart, and with it, the world."

"They will stop you," a voice echoed from the pillar. "When they reach the Island where my sister buried me, they will free me, and you will be sent back to the nether regions that spawned you, Calidor."

"You know nothing, Rayden," Calidor, the King of Furies hissed. "They will never reach the island, much less your grave. Enough of my Fury escaped when that mongrel dog Bandoh killed my body to allow me to stop them directly. I will turn that ship into a tomb, using the very human germs Lucy wishes to protect. She'll not be able to stop it when I poison every last one of them. She will die, as will your sister, and that pest who thinks to take my place." The pillar rumbled as Rayden raged in his prison. "Rage on, Rayden," Calidor crowed. "There's nothing you can do. You cannot stop the hand of Fate. I will destroy them all."

Unknown to Calidor, the crystal pillar imprisoning Rayden began to crack as he raged. Sensing the weakening of his prison, Rayden smiled to himself, feeling his power growing the closer Lucy came to the Island. _That's what he thinks, _Rayden thought.

Yuka sat in the ready room with Suko and Ron, waiting impatiently for the show to begin. "What's the hold up?" she asked.

"I'm gathering the last of the files for you, Miss Yuka," Ron said. "Just be patient. It'll only take a few more moments."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Suko asked Yuka softly.

"Are you against me too?" Yuka snapped. "Why is it that no one wants me to see this footage? Is it that terrible?"

"It is, and worse," Kagami called out as she walked in with Dr. Quang. "You have no idea what has happened, and risk much by trying to view it in your weakened state."

Yuka stared at Kagami and Dr. Quang with a sour look. "Show me what happened right now, or so help me…" Yuka hissed, her face turning crimson with rage.

"Calm down, Yuka," Kagami cooed, touching her on the arm gently. "No one's going to keep you from seeing the truth."

Yuka snatched her arm away from Kagami. "Don't touch me! You have no idea what I've been through."

"On the contrary," Dr. Quang retorted. "We all know what you've endured. Please, just calm down. You're amongst friends here."

"Says you," Yuka retorted, her irrationality starting to rise again. "If I don't see what happened right now…"

"Please don't make threats, Miss Yuka," Kagami said softly. "We know you feel betrayed because of what happened. Just calm down, please; look, Ron's ready to show you what happened, right?"

"Yes, Miss Kagami," Ron said. "We're ready. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Show me!" Yuka shouted, her anger boiling dangerously high.

"Very well, Miss Yuka," Ron answered. "No need to be hostile. I shall start with the footage we have on the attack at your home."

A fearful chill ran down Yuka's spine that caused her to hesitate for a moment. Everyone noticed it. "Last chance…shall I press play?" Ron asked cautiously.

"Yes," Yuka replied fearfully. "I must know what happened. I must."

"Very well," Ron stated, starting the video footage. "Just remember, you're not alone. We're here to help you deal with this."

"Be quiet," Yuka snapped as the hologram appeared, showing the Kaeda House from the outside just before the attack. As the video unfolded, she saw a figure wearing dark fatigues and carrying a machine gun moving with military precision around the house, placing devices all around the house's perimeter. Her eyes grew wide as she saw herself come out of the house with Kohta following close behind, pleading with her. A lump formed in her throat when the argument at the front gate erupted. While she and Kohta argued in the video, Yuka saw the figure with the machine gun approach the front gate and open fire. Yuka flinched, clenching her chest, remembering the stinging kiss of hot led as Kohta tackled her out of the line of fire.

Calidor sensed Yuka reliving the trauma of her wounding, feeling her anger and rage blossoming. "This is perfect!" he crowed. "She's ripe to be taken. I'll infect her first and use her like I did that first time. When I have her, I'll use her to spread my fury amongst the germs on the Chimera. They'll destroy themselves same as the people in Tokyo did. Go, my Fury, and take the germ now."

Tears flooded from Yuka's eyes as she watched the attack on the Kaeda house unfold from the outside. When the flames consumed her home, her heart turned icy, despite the image of a strange-looking man saving her and her family. A tiny voice echoed in her skull, "Look at what they did to your home, Yuka. Not only did they take Kohta away from you, they got you shot, and burned your house down. It's all that bitch's fault."

Kagami hovered close to Yuka, sensing a darkness falling over her mind. "Yuka, don't listen to the darkness. It lies," she said softly in Yuka's ear, trying to pull her mentally away from the Fury.

"Oh, and you're not?" Yuka retorted venomously. "What else happened? Come on, show me, damn it! Show me Tokyo!"

"Please," Ron begged. "You don't want to see what happened there. It's inhuman."

Yuka cast her flashing eyes at Ron with a look that could kill. "Do it," she snarled.

Ron reluctantly brought up the footage of the fall of Tokyo, starting with the carnage at the Shinjuku train station. Yuka's horror multiplied at the images while her rage grew exponentially. The voices echoing in her head grew louder and louder, blaming Lucy and Kohta for the horrors she saw. When she viewed the footage of the Fury infecting the people of Tokyo, Yuka snapped and the darkness totally swallowed her mind. The voices inside her head became a single malevolent entity laughing maniacally. "Foolish girl," it crowed. "You escaped me twice, but now I have you, and this time you will not escape."

A primal shriek escaped her lips as she clenched her head with her hands, bawling uncontrollably in furious pain. A gasp escaped Kagami's lips, sensing Yuka slipping into the darkness of the Fury. "No…it can't be! Yuka, fight it! Please fight it, and remember who you are!"

Yuka suddenly let go of her head and reached out in a flash, trying to strangle Kagami. She instantly pinned Yuka's arms against her chest. "Yuka, snap out of it! Don't let them win. I know you're stronger than they are," Kagami pleaded, looking into Yuka's face, seeing it twisted in a demoniac rage with blank, vacant eyes. She instantly realized using vectors to subdue Yuka would only lead to her becoming infected.

"Let me go, you bitch!" Yuka screamed, struggling against Kagami. "I'll kill every last one of you! Let me go! You're all responsible for this!"

"She's out of her mind!" Kagami cried. "The Fury has her and I can't stop it! Give her the sedative now, doctor!"

"It's you who needs to die, not her," Dr. Quang replied icily, readying an empty syringe.

Kagami gasped, seeing the same twisted vacant expression on Quang's face. "Oh no! Wake up, doctor, snap out of it!" Kagami pleaded. "I'm not the enemy here."

"Yes you are," Suko growled in a mindless fashion. "You must die. All must die and be one with the Collective. All will become one with the Fury." She moved in with Dr. Quang.

"That's quite enough of that," Ron said sternly, horrified that Quang and Suko became infected with the Fury so easily and quickly.

"Don't touch them with your vectors, Ron!" Kagami shouted, struggling with Yuka. "The Fury will infect you if you do."

"Right," Ron replied, darting forward. In the brief struggle that ensued, he rendered Dr. Quang and Suko unconscious with a quick pressure point attack using his hands, not his vectors. He quickly moved to the doctor's unconscious form, taking the syringe from his hand. Ron searched Quang's pockets, finding another syringe with the proper amount of sedative already prepared. "Hold her still, Kagami," he ordered. Kagami restrained Yuka, who foamed at the mouth while Ron administered the sedative into Yuka's upper arm. In seconds, Yuka calmed down, but didn't fall unconscious. She stared vacantly at the floor, her head hanging, and her face twisted in pain with a completely vacant look on it. "God damned it," Ron breathed. "What the fuck just happened? How did the Fury get all three of them so quickly?"

"I don't know," Kagami replied. "But I don't think this is over by any stretch of the imagination. Go tell the captain what happened right now."

The door to the ready room opened, revealing Fargo with a concerned look as he rushed in, carrying three rolls of duct tape. "Is everyone all right?" he asked.

"No," Kagami stated. "The Fury overpowered Yuka, just as we feared. But it jumped to Dr. Quang and Suko right after it hit Yuka. If Ron hadn't been here, you'd be scraping up my guts off the floor. They were about to tear me to pieces. Please tell me that this incident was just confined to this room."

"I'm afraid not," Fargo replied coldly. "Fifteen more of our human shipmates were infected, all within thirty meters of this room. Fortunately, we were able to incapacitate them without harming them. Ron, use this to restrain Suko, Quang, and Yuka. We have to keep them from hurting themselves or someone else when they wake up." He handed Ron the rolls of duct tape. "Start with Yuka."

"Yes sir," Ron replied, taking the tape. He moved in and taped Yuka's arms and legs to the wheelchair with Kagami's help, and then wrapped the tape around her chest, pinning her to the back of the chair.

"That's good," Kagami said with a relieved sigh. "Go tie up Suko and the doctor before they wake up."

"Yes Kagami," Ron replied, darting to Suko and Quang on the floor and binding their hands and feet with the tape.

"Did anyone touch those infected with their vectors?" Kagami asked.

"No," Fargo replied. "It happened so fast that vectors were not involved. It's a hard, fast rule on this ship for our diclonius crew not to use their vectors on their human comrades under any circumstances without direct orders from me. Fortunately, they remembered that rule when the Fury infected our human friends."

"Thank god," Kagami breathed. "I'm glad. That rule may have saved us from a massacre. The Fury infecting our friends here will infect any diclonius who uses their vectors to subdue a human with the Fury. I sensed it the moment the Fury took Yuka. I had to warn Ron not to use his vectors when Suko and the doctor became infected."

Fargo knelt down beside Quang, feeling his pulse. It was erratic, pounding like a freight train. "This is very bad. I didn't realize the Fury would jump like this to our human comrades on this ship. I mistakenly believed our shielding would have kept it at bay. Is Yuka unconscious?"

"No, captain," Kagami replied. "But she definitely isn't herself. The sedative merely calmed her down physically. But her mind is in an uproar. I've never felt anything like it before."

Fargo squatted down, looking Yuka in the eye, seeing the same far look and twisted expression of pain and horror that he saw on the other human victims of the Fury. A troubled sigh escaped his lips. "It could have been much worse," he commented, patting Yuka on the hand as she stared vacantly, drool dripping from her lips. "Lucy sensed the attack and shielded us."

"I know," Kagami replied. "I sensed her shielding us. Only she and Kohta have the power to use their vectors to deal with the Fury infecting our friends here."

Kohta suddenly rushed into the ready room. His eyes grew wide with horror, seeing Yuka catatonic and taped to the wheelchair. Lucy followed close behind Kohta as he rushed to Yuka's side. "Oh god, not again!" he moaned in despair. "We tried to warn her, but she just wouldn't listen."

Lucy patted Kohta on the shoulder. "This isn't over, Kohta," she hissed, squatting down in front of Yuka. "The King tried to use her as the conduit to take the ship, captain. We have to stop him now or we may lose Yuka and the others forever."

"I'm behind you, milady," Fargo growled. "This was an organized attack by the Fury. I'm sure of it. If you hadn't stopped it from spreading, we would've been sunk."

"I'm well aware of that," Lucy stated. She turned to Kohta, who sobbed softly while holding Yuka's hand. "Kohta, I need you focused if we're going to rescue these people from the Fury. Are you with me?"

Kohta pushed his sorrow and anger down, wiping his eyes with his hand. "Yes, Lucy, I'm with you."

"Lucy, you should be careful when dealing with the Fury in our friends here," Kagami stated. "It's unlike anything I've ever sensed. Even worse, it can infect diclonius who touch an infected human. Only you and Kohta are strong enough to use your vectors to deal with this. That's why I suggested to Fargo to ban all diclonius on this ship from using their vectors against an infected human. They just aren't strong enough to deal with it."

"You're right," Lucy replied. "Do as she says, captain. This Fury comes directly from the Collective. No one here but me or Kohta should use vectors to subdue them. Is that clear?"

"The order is already given, milady," Fargo said. "When the infection broke loose, we used physical means to subdue our friends, not our vectors."

"Good," Lucy said coldly. "That's going to save us a lot of trouble."

A moan escaped Yuka's lips as her head tilted up. She turned her vacant eyes to Kohta, hissing, "This is all your fault, Kohta, you and that god damned demon bitch. You burned my world to ashes! It's all gone because of you and that fucking bitch! We should've drowned her in the ocean where we first found her. At least then I would still have you and my home. Now I have neither! I swear that I'm going to make you pay for what you did to me…you and every one of those monsters you chose over me!"

"Yuka," Kohta moaned, his heart torn to shreds by the callous words.

Fargo, Kagami, and Ron gawked at the viciousness of Yuka's words.

Lucy felt her anger flash. "Monsters are we?" she asked icily. "Then why did we save your sorry ass?"

"Don't talk to Yuka like that, Lucy," Kohta shouted in hurt. "She doesn't know what she's saying."

"Oh I do, Kohta," Yuka's growled. "I know exactly what I'm saying. If I wasn't tied down to this wheelchair, I'd rip your heart out and eat it. You've done nothing but lie to me from the beginning, and now your lies have led to the end of civilization. Your actions have doomed humanity! You've killed us all! It's all your fault because you fell in love with a monster that isn't even human! You turned your back on your own kind, so you deserve to die with them! If I can't have you, then you can't have me, ever! I'd soon die as live with you as a replacement for your imbecilic sister! Such a stupid bitch she was too, letting herself be killed like that. She and your father just as well been eaten by a lion or something. At least then you wouldn't have a problem with killing the one who did it."

Turning her venom on Lucy, Yuka added, "As for you, you fucking inhuman bitch, I know I'm just an amusement to you. You just toyed with me as a cat toys with a mouse she's caught. As soon as I no longer interest you, I'm dead, like the rest of my kind. You're no better than those lions and tigers I remember seeing at the zoo. You're no more than a zoo specimen who should have been put down the moment you were born! Your dad was right to throw you into that ravine, you evil demon bitch! It's a shame you didn't die there. Then the world wouldn't have to deal with the likes of you. In fact, he should have killed you the moment you were born. As far as I'm concerned, you can die and burn in hell for all eternity with the rest of demon brood. Fuck you and everyone like you! If I had a gun, I'd blow your head off right now for what you did to Kohta and me!"

Kagami gasped in horror at the seemingly endless venom spewing from Yuka's lips. Lucy's face turned red with rage and Kohta felt his heart vanish into a sea of icy despair. Ron's face flushed with anger. Fargo's countenance turned icy with righteous indignation. He slapped Yuka across the cheek, but not hard enough to draw blood. "You foolish girl," he growled. "You have no idea what you're saying. The Fury possesses you and we know it. You'll not turn my Queen away from her decision to save humanity."

Yuka laughed maniacally. "See, you're no different from them, Fargo Uchida. You're just as much a monster as they are. You pretend to want peace with us humans, but when we become a problem, you resort to violence, as your entire cursed race does. You never wanted peace with us humans. How many humans did you kill in that little incident twenty years ago in South America: 400, 500? How many villages did you exterminate in that bloodbath? How you must have gloried in killing those pests! Felt good killing them, didn't it, like crushing a roach or squashing a fly."

Fargo raised his fist and Kohta restrained him. "Don't lay a hand on her, Captain," Kohta cried angrily. "She's trying to antagonize us."

"And doing a damned good job of it too," Fargo snarled, backing off.

"Enough of this shit," Lucy growled icily. "I'll shut her up."

Kagami suddenly understood and interposed herself between Lucy and Yuka. "You can't, Lucy. That's not her spewing this venom. It's him, the King. He's possessed her! Only he would've have known about Fargo's past like that, or known what your father did to you as a child." Yuka continued to spew hateful venom from her lips, trying to enrage everyone present.

Lucy's eyes grew wide as everyone realized what was happening. Kohta and Lucy glanced at each other with determined angry looks, now understanding who was speaking through Yuka. Lucy walked around in front of Yuka, looking down with a cold stare into her vacant eye.

A sadistic, twisted smile crossed Yuka's face. "You want to kill me, don't you, you fucking bitch?" she hissed. "Go ahead. But I will never bow to you. You're nothing but a traitorous monster who brings death to everyone around you. Why don't you take those fucking vectors arms of yours and cut off your own goddamned head and save the world the trouble of dealing with you."

Lucy leaned in as Yuka spoke, her face flushing with rage. When Yuka spat in her face, Lucy wipe her face off and then spit back into Yuka's face. Yuka raged insanely, hurling all manner of curses as Lucy grabbed her by the throat with her hand. She squeezed, silencing Yuka's curses. Kohta grabbed onto Lucy's arm, begging, "Let her go, Lucy! You can't kill her! That's just what the bastard wants! If you kill her, he wins."

Lucy turned an icy eye to Kohta, knowing the truth of his statement. She released Yuka's throat and backed away after slapping her viciously. Yuka coughed, regaining her breath. Staring icily at Yuka's vacant eyes, Lucy hissed, "Nice try, you son of a bitch; but you've failed. I'm not going to kill this girl and open myself to your miserable influence no matter what you do. Now let this girl go or we'll take her by force."

Yuka's face took on a truly evil façade, a wicked smile spreading from ear to ear. A deep guttural voice rose from Yuka, a voice not her own, saying, "I think not, traitor. Your weakness is your feelings for these germs. If you don't turn away from the Island right now, I'll kill her in front of you. And to prove my power, watch this."

Light returned to Yuka's eyes as her face twisted in horror and fear. "P…pl…ease, help me, Kohta. No…more, please…I ca…n't take…stop…it, nnyahhhh!" Yuka's voice cut off in mid-sentence as her face went vacant, followed by a soul-crushing scream that rattled everyone present. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she frothed at the mouth.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" Kohta raged. "I'll kill you!"

"Good," the guttural voice cackled, taking control of Yuka's body again. "I can feel your rage. You're welcome to try, if you're willing to kill this insect to do it. The choice is yours." A diabolical laugh rose from Yuka, followed by a shriek of agony as her eyes rolled back in her head again.

Dr. Ravenclaw rushed into the ready room, seeing Dr. Quang and Suko bound and unconscious on the floor while Yuka foaming at the mouth with a guttural growl rising from her. Lucy's eyes snapped to Ravenclaw as Kohta and Kagami worked to keep Yuka still. "Captain, you and Ron watch Suko and the doctor," Lucy ordered, taking charge. " Make sure they don't get loose." Fargo and Ron nodded, hovering over Suko and Dr. Quang. "Ravenclaw, come here and help Kagami monitor Yuka's vitals while Kohta and I stop the attack on her. Do not under any circumstances use your vectors on her."

"Yes ma'am," Ravenclaw answered, checking Yuka's vitals after taking Kohta's place. He frowned dramatically. "If you intend on doing something, you'd better do it now. Whatever has her has her blood pressure through the roof. Her heart is pounding so fast it may rupture. Let me give her a sedative." He reached into his coat, pulling a syringe with a powerful sedative. He put it to Yuka's neck, only to have a force knock it away. "What the hell?" Ravenclaw cursed.

"I will not allow you to save her," the guttural voice growled. "She is mine. I'll kill her before you can take her from me." Yuka went into violent convulsions. Blood began dripping from her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.

"Yuka!" Kohta cried, seeing her start to bleed out. "You're so dead, demon!" he snarled, ready to go to war to save his cousin. Without another word, he wrapped five vectors around Yuka, stopping her convulsions while he sent a sixth into her brain. Lucy did likewise, mirroring Kohta's action and connecting to Yuka's mind via her vectors.

"Now we see who is the most powerful," Lucy growled. "Kohta, let's do it."

"Right," Kohta snapped, adrenaline rushing through his body as he and Lucy used their vectors to enter Yuka's mind.

Once again, they found Yuka trapped in a theater, bound in heavy metal restraints that held her fast with her head toward the screen and her eyes wired open so she could not shut them to the horrors of a world gone mad on the screen. Everything she'd seen in the files and in her own life played in full fast-forward repetition, stripping her humanity away a piece at a time. Cries of excruciating horror, sorrow, and pain bellowed from Yuka as the King forced her to watch the death of a nation and a world in brutal detail. Blood dripped from her restraints, draining toward the screen. Lucy scowled at the images, disgusted with what she saw while Kohta rushed forward to Yuka, horror on his face. "I've got to to stop this," Lucy snarled, loosing a vector to sever the footage loop in the projection room. But when her vector reached into the projection room, it was empty…no projector. "What the fuck?" she cursed, retracting her vector. "Kohta, there's no projector! We have to find the source of the film and stop it."

A black tentacle came out of nowhere, slapping Kohta away from Yuka as the King laughed insanely. Kohta flew through the air towards the wall, which abruptly grew three-meter black spikes. Seeing Kohta's peril, Lucy gasped, snatching him with her vectors just before he impaled on the spikes. "Kohta, are you all right?" she asked, slapping him gently to get him to come around.

He shook his head, gathering his wits. "Yeah, Lucy," Kohta replied over the King's laughter. "The bastard caught me off guard and knocked me senseless for a moment." He then saw the spikes and swallowed hard. "Thanks for the save."

"Any time, Kohta," Lucy replied with a smirk. "Now let's get that bastard out of Yuka's head."

"Yeah," Kohta growled. "Let's approach from both sides." Lucy nodded and they moved in from opposite sides.

"Yuka," Kohta called out desperately. "Yuka, can you hear me?"

"Kohta," Yuka screamed, "Help me! I'm dying! Make it stop! Please, make it stop!"

"You aren't going to die, Yuka," Lucy said evenly, keeping on guard for their assailant.

A shadowy form suddenly appeared behind Yuka. The thing grabbed her by the throat, choking her. Several black tentacles wrapped around her body, insuring the thing's grip on her. "That's far enough," the shadow growled. "One step closer and I'll explode her mind the way I did to my minions."

"What the fuck do you want?" Kohta demanded.

"I want you and Lucy dead, and your essences and power absorbed into my body," the shadow hissed. "If you don't surrender now, I will rip this pet of yours to pieces in front of you."

Lucy's eyes grew wide as she once again remembered Tomo and his friends beating her pet puppy to death in front of her. Her eyes then glazed into a deadly stare as Kohta retorted, "You hurt her and I will rip your black heart out!"

"You have no power here, human germ," the shadow replied venomously, its face taking on the semblance of King of Furies. "This is my theater and world. It obeys me, and so will you. Now beg for this insect's life!" Black spikes snapped from the floor in an instant all around Yuka, catching Kohta and Lucy off guard. Five spikes penetrated Kohta, one on each leg, two in his belly, and one in the same spot the tree branch impaled him. He shrieked in excruciating pain as the spikes pushed him off the floor two meters, his blood streaming down the spikes to the floor. Eight spikes impaled Lucy through her legs, arms, and chest, lifting her off the floor. She cried in agony as she hung there, her blood dripping down to the floor, spreading across it. "Foolish mortal germs," the shadow King crowed. "You should have never challenged me for this human's soul in my own domain. You walked right into my trap and now I have all three of you."

"That's what you think," Kohta wheezed, glaring at the shadow and clawing at the spikes in his belly.

"And how will you stop me, insect?" the shadow snarled. "I have paralyzed your mind with my spike trap. You can't move. If you will pay close attention, these spikes are made of pure Fury. They will consume you bit by bit, spreading the fury throughout your body a piece at a time. When it reaches your brain, you are mine. I'll consume your soul as I have all the others who have come before you. And Lucy cannot help you anymore. She's dying and as she dies, I absorb her power and essence, as I will you. Don't resist the inevitable. You, and your friends, are now mine!"

"Kohta! Please help me!" Yuka shrieked in agony.

"Kohta," Lucy moaned in flaming agony, "Don't…give…up. We're...not dead...yet." Her eyes, filled with rage, pain, and hate for the King as he held Yuka captive.

The shadow laughed demoniacally. "You can't stop me, stupid bitch," it crowed triumphantly. "I am Calidor, King of Furies, and the Eater of Worlds! And now I'm here to eat you and your pathetic planet!"

A brilliant flash abruptly blinded the shadow fiend, vaporizing his spikes. "What the hell?" Calidor cursed, feeling the light burn him as he hid his eyes. "Where did that come from?"

Kohta came crashing to the floor with a thud, as did Lucy. Kohta pushed himself to his knees, looking around while holding his wounded belly. For a moment, he believed his eyes deceived him. "Nyu help Kohta!" Nyu cried, coming to his assistance. He focused, seeing Nyu in armor with her vectors out, coming to his assistance. He groaned as she used her vectors to heal his wounds. "Is Kohta better?" she asked, drawing him to his feet

"Nyu?" he asked, "What're you doing here?"

"Kohta, Lucy, and Yuka in big trouble," Nyu said, categorically, "so Kaeda, Bad Lucy, and I help."

Kohta marveled, seeing Dark Lucy's patchwork body in armor standing between them and the shadow in a defensive position. "Get the fucking lead out, Kohta!" Dark Lucy growled. "We can't take him alone."

Kohta looked, seeing Kaeda helping Lucy up. He noticed Kaeda mending Lucy's wounds with her vectors. "Right," Kohta said, feeling stronger with his friends beside him. "Are you all right, Lucy?"

"I will be," Lucy hissed through her pain, blood dripping from her. "But that bastard is so dead. Kaeda, you go left. Fury, you go right. Kohta, Nyu…approach from the other side. We're going to teach this fucking prick not to mess with us ever again."

"Now you're talking my language," Dark Lucy crowed, following Lucy's instructions. Everyone made a perimeter around Yuka and Calidor.

When the Calidor's vision returned, he gawked, fear rising rampantly in him when he saw every piece of Lucy acting in concert against him, even her Fury. "So," he hissed venomously. "You broke free of my spike trap. But it won't help this human. One step closer and I'll rip her mind to pieces."

"And you won't survive our onslaught either, you lousy piece of shit!" Kohta growled. "You've lost. Let her go!"

"Think I've lost," Calidor replied. "Think again. As long as you fear losing this human, I have power. You're powerless against me."

"Powerless am I," Lucy said icily. "I'll show you just how powerless we are." She clapped her hands together and the Sword of the Collective appeared in her hands out of thin air. "I am the Queen. I decide who lives and who dies; and I declare Yuka lives, and you die."

A fearful chill filled Calidor's mind upon seeing the sword. "What the fuck," he cursed, distracted by Lucy's actions. "Where did you get that blade?"

"It doesn't matter," Lucy hissed venomously. "You've become a plague on this planet, a viral contagion; and we're the vaccine. Now!"

Dark Lucy, Kaeda, Nyu, and Kohta launched a coordinated vector strike that battered the shadow fiend. Kohta's vectors sliced Calidor's arms off while ripping Yuka's prison from the floor, pulling it away from him. Yuka screamed in excruciating pain as the shadowy Calidor ripped loose from her. Kaeda gasped, seeing the ghostly form of Yuka being dragged from her body by Calidor's black vector tentacles. "Kill it now, Lucy!" Kaeda cried. "It's trying to take her soul! Do it before it's too late!" Kaeda desperately lashed out with her vectors, trying to cut the black tentacles dragging Yuka's soul from her body without success.

Lucy launched her attack with a powerful diagonal sword strike and a shout. A glowing blast flew from the blade, striking the fiend across the chest. Upon being hit, the endless loop of horrors on the screen vanished. Calidor howled in mortal agony, slowly evaporating. Before he vanished into a puff of sulfurous smoke, he hissed triumphantly, "Too late, the human is mine. Come get her in the Collective, if you dare."

Kohta saw Calidor's black tentacle dragging Yuka's soul being into nothingness. "Yuka, no!" Kohta screamed, reaching out futilely with his vectors to snatch Yuka's soul from the dark being by cutting the tentacles. Yuka's soul screamed Kohta's name, vanishing into the void, her outstretched arm reaching for Kohta as she vanished. Kohta fell to his knees and shrieked, grabbing his head, and then pounding the floor with his fists.

Lucy, Kaeda, and Nyu looked on in horror, powerless to stop the fiend from snatching Yuka's soul from their fingers. Dark Lucy stared at Kohta with a new appreciation of his humanity, seeing his reaction to their failure. She walked up to him and grabbed him by the arm. "On your feet, Kohta," she growled. "This isn't over."

"How do you figure that?" he snapped. "That fiend took her soul right out of our hands and we couldn't stop it!"

With the viciousness of Bandoh, Dark Lucy slapped Kohta, hissed, "Snap out of it, Kohta. We know where he took her, god damn it. By his taking her like this, it shows his desperation. Now you need to fucking get it together or you will never see your cousin again."

Lucy scowled at the hit, but allowed it, seeing Dark Lucy acting according to her wishes. "She's right," Kaeda said as Nyu put her arms around Kohta. He held her as Kaeda added, "He may have taken her soul, but he no longer has control of her body or mind."

The theater rumbled and shook. "Oh shit, this place is disintegrating, just like the last time," Lucy shouted. "We need to get out of here." She struck Yuka's restraints with her sword, disintegrating the bonds. Kaeda caught Yuka, cradling her catatonic body. Remembering their last escape from the theater, Lucy charged the screen, smashing a hole through it to the outside with her sword and vectors. "Everyone out!" she barked. Kohta, Nyu, Dark Lucy, and Kaeda carrying Yuka fled through the hole with Lucy following close behind. Once clear of the hole, they found themselves on a desolate, featureless plain. Kaeda knelt down, caressing Yuka's bloody face as everyone gathered around.

Kohta knelt beside her and held Yuka's hand. Tears ran down his cheeks as he moaned, "Why did this have to happen to her? Why? Hasn't enough happened to her all ready?" Yuka's form slowly vanished from Kaeda's arms, spurring more sobs from Kohta. Nyu hugged him from behind for emotional support.

"The King's desperate to keep us away from the Island," Lucy declared as her sword evaporated. "He loses strength the closer we get to the Island. Yuka was the weak link of our family, so he attacked her just as he did that first night. But he really crossed the line this time. We'll get her back. Up until now, I didn't know for sure if we were dealing with a demon. Now I know it. This is not over; not by a long shot."

"I swear by God Almighty, he's going to pay for this," Kohta growled.

"And we're going to help you," Dark Lucy replied. "No one deserves to go like that. We'll get her back and kill that fucker so he never bothers anyone ever again."

"We've done all we can," Kaeda stated. "Let's get out of Yuka's head and get ready for the next fight. Now we have a good reason to go into the Collective to end this shit."

"Yes," Kohta replied coldly. "The next time, that bastard dies forever."

"That's what I like to hear," Dark Lucy chimed. With that, everyone vanished from Yuka's mind when Lucy and Kohta retracted their vectors.

Kagami touched Yuka's temple with her hand while Ravenclaw checked Yuka's vitals. Kohta and Lucy staggered back when their vectors retracted. Fargo and Ron helped steady them. "Did you save her?" Fargo asked.

"Oh no," Kagami moaned. "She's gone. I can't feel her presence at all."

"The thing took her just as we separated them," Lucy hissed. "We purged the Fury, but it imprisoned her mind within the Fury Collective. We were so fucking close! God damn it!" Lucy turned her back to them and kicked a chair across the room, betraying her anger.

"The bastard challenged us to come after her," Kohta said coldly as Ron helped him sit down. "And he sucker punched us, too. If Kaeda, Nyu, and Lucy's Fury hadn't shown up, it would've been over." Tears rolled down his cheeks. "I once again feel like I did that night I thought I lost Lucy; so helpless and impotent."

"But she's alive," Ravenclaw commented, checking Yuka thoroughly. "If he'd totally taken her soul, she would've died right here. Something is keeping her alive. Kagami, can you tell if her soul is totally severed from her mind and body?"

A prick of hope rose in Kohta's heart as Kagami latched on both hands to Yuka's catatonic mind. She delved deep into Yuka's traumatized brain, searching for the connection. A gasp escaped her lips. "Oh my goodness," Kagami breathed, backing away from the telepathic hunt. "You're right, doctor. The demon took Yuka's mind, but it didn't completely sever her soul from her body. I can feel the connection. Her love for Kohta is keeping her tethered to her body. And it's strong too, so strong that I know where she's being held prisoner."

Gasps escaped from everyone's lips. "Where is she being held?" Fargo asked.

"At the coordinates Lucy gave us for Collective Island," Kagami declared. "Whatever it is that kidnapped her soul is on that island. I'm certain of it."

"It's coming from Collective Island?" Lucy asked, astounded.

"Yes," Kagami stated. "But it's deep within the Fury zone. We're going to have to be extra careful when we go after her because she's in his domain."

"Makes no difference," Kohta growled. "He's taken his last victim. I'm going to kill him, even if it kills me to do it. No one messes with our family like this and gets away with it."

"I agree," Lucy said coolly. "But you must control your anger, Kohta. That's how he nearly beat us. Our anger and fears are our greatest weakness. We must conquer them before we go into the Fury, otherwise, he will use them against us and win." She put an arm around Kohta as they looked at Yuka's catatonic face, her eyes frozen open in a look of utter horror. "We'll get her back. That's a promise."

"Can you please shut her eyes," Kohta asked as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I can't take looking into those eyes with nothing being there." Kagami shut Yuka's eyes with her hand. "Thank you."

Kagami nodded as Ravenclaw said, "I'm going to take her back to the infirmary. The blood I see coming from her concerns me. I need to find out how bad the fiend hurt her physically. By the way, what was he doing to her mentally?"

Lucy scowled. "The bastard was mind-raping her with the footage she saw, repeating it over and over again in an effort to destroy her. Even if we get her back from the middle of the Fury, she may never be the same again. I sincerely hope that she's stronger than we think. I hate to think what she may be like otherwise."

"I see," Ravenclaw replied. "If I need your help with her, can I count on you, milady?"

"Yes," Lucy declared. "But I have work to do right now. I have to purge the furies of those who were infected before they find a new connection to the Fury." She sent out vectors to every human infected in the attack on the Chimera, easily purging the fury from them as Ravenclaw wheeled Yuka back to the infirmary.

"What are you doing?" Kohta asked.

"I'm purging their furies with my vectors," Lucy stated with a tense look as she concentrated. "Yuka was obviously the source of the furies that infected the others. It attacked her first before infecting the others. But when we dispatched it, the other furies became cut off and have withered to the point I can easily remove them. The Fury is strongest when in contact with the core. When cut off, like now, it withers like a plant cut off from its root."

"Amazing," Fargo chimed, seeing Quang and Suko stirring.

"There," Lucy said, retracting her vectors from all over the ship. "They should be okay now. But I would watch them for a while, just to be safe. This incident has shown us that we have a serious weak point."

"Indeed," Fargo agreed. "It never occurred to me that our human comrades would be a weak link in our armor."

"Yes," Lucy replied. "I suggest that from now on, no one, human or diclonius, go anywhere on this ship alone. Let the diclonius of this ship pair up with their human shipmates. That way, if the Fury tries to infect them like it did with Yuka, they can inform me so we can stop it before it festers into violence. And it's imperative that they not use their vectors if the Fury shows. We cannot let the Fury on this ship again."

"That's a very wise thing to do," Fargo stated. "I'll order it at once."

"Also, it might be useful for the whale song to be played throughout the ship," Lucy suggested. "I noticed that the Fury didn't penetrate the ship while the whales were near us singing. Only after they left did this attack take place. It may help to keep the Fury at bay as we come closer to the island. It definitely doesn't want us to reach the Island. That much I am certain of."

"That's an interesting thought," Ron said. "I have tons of whale song on file, so that shouldn't be any trouble."

"You expect the Fury to get stronger the closer we get to the Island, don't you?" Fargo asked.

"I do," Lucy stated. "We must be extremely careful as we approach it. It seems the whale songs have an adverse affect on the Fury, blocking it somewhat. That gives us a possible advantage over it."

"You might try having people singing happy songs while they work," Kohta suggested. "Before all this shit happened, I remember singing or humming songs I liked to chase away my bad moods. Of course, this was before I ever met Lucy. But it's still something that helps me, as cheesy as it sounds."

"At this point, nothing is cheesy," Fargo declared. "And it's a good idea. I've done that on occasion myself. Thanks for the suggestion, Master Kohta. Are you going to be all right after what happened?"

"I don't know," Kohta replied. "But if I get out of line, I'm sure Lucy will knock some sense into me. I can't afford to be screwed up right now. Yuka and everyone else are depending on me." Lucy cast a wry grin at him.

"At least you're honest about it," Fargo stated with a grim smile. "I like that. I'll get right on what you suggested. Ron, please help me take the good doctor and Suko to the infirmary so Dr. Ravenclaw can keep them under observation."

"Aye sir," Ron replied, picking up Quang without his vectors while Fargo scooped up Suko. He followed Fargo out of the ready room.

Kohta collapsed in one of the chairs, tears in his eyes and wrath building in his heart. "I'm going to kill that son of a bitch now," he growled. "This is the last time he does this."

"I hear you," Lucy said softly, sitting down next to him. "But we must move quickly. The Collective is weakening. I can feel the cracks in it from what Bandoh did. We have to get to the Island before it ruptures, or we may never get the chance to repair it."

He looked at Lucy and held her hand. "We'll get there, and we'll rescue Yuka, and kill that monster. I have something extra special for him when we get there."

"I know you do," Lucy stated. "…just don't do it without me. Only together will we be able to free Yuka and Rayden and kill that beast."

Kohta nodded with a grunt. "And then we kill him."

"Yes," Lucy agreed. "And then we send him back to hell."

A/N: Kohta's and Lucy's fears about Yuka came true…she saw the footage and succumbed to the Fury. But it's even worse. When they try to purge the fury from her, the King of Furies set a trap for them, wounding Kohta and Lucy when they try to rescue Yuka. However, he underestimates them, and pays for it when Lucy's individual pieces act together to save her, Kohta, and Yuka. Seeing his trap thwarted, the King snares a large chunk of Yuka's soul, taking it back to the Fury with him when Lucy and Kohta attack, doing it at the last second so they cannot stop him from doing so. Then as a final insult, he challenges them to come into the Fury to rescue Yuka's soul from his grasp. So Lucy and Kohta's battle to save Yuka ends on a bitter note, but not in complete failure. They managed to secure Yuka's mind and purge it of the Fury, but they lose her soul to the King of Furies, setting up the final battle on the Island of the Collective. Will they save Yuka, Rayden, and the world from the demoniac King of Furies, or will they all perish in the fires of his wrath. Keep reading to find out as the conclusion closes in like a storm on the horizon.

As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	32. Chapter 32 The Hand of Fate

Chapter 32

The Hand of Fate

Calidor stormed into his throne room with Yuka firmly snared in a single black tentacle vector. "God damn it!" he roared, wroth at his failure to capture Lucy and Kohta. "I had them! How the fuck did they get so powerful? Shit!" He lashed out with a free vector, ripping a gash in the throne room wall. Shrieks of agony rose from the diclonii encased in the walls, their blood gushing from the gash. "I must stop them before they reach the Island."

Yuka moaned, coming to. "What? Where am I?" she moaned, unable to move in the black vector cocoon Calidor spun around her.

"I see you're awake, little soul," he sneered, bringing her around to look him in the eye. "You proved quite the slippery one to snare, but I have you now."

Yuka looked around at the hellish throne room, seeing the skull throne, and the figures rising and melting back into the walls of the fortress. An icy terror swallowed her as Calidor smiled wickedly at her. "Who're you? Where am I? Am I dead?"

"My name is Calidor, human germ…the King of Furies and Eater of Worlds," Calidor snarled. "As for where you are, you're my guest in Castle Nelfheim deep with the Fury of the diclonius Collective. You're neither alive, nor dead, trapped for all eternity within my dark domain with no hope of escape."

"What do you want with me?" Yuka cried in terror.

"What do I want with you?" he mocked. "Surely you jest. I have what I want…your very mind and soul, insect. Your anger and jealousy made it so easy for me to take you. If you had just listened to that traitorous bitch Lucy and her pestilent consort, you may have been able to keep me away. But you let your anger and jealousy run wild. It allowed me entrance to your feeble mind. Now you are mine, forever."

Yuka fell into a pit of despair when she heard Calidor's words. "What do you mean to do to me?" she whimpered.

"Isn't it obvious?" Calidor hissed. "I'm the spider and you're the fly. I mean to eat you. But your soul isn't powerful enough. I must have the souls of Lucy and her treacherous pest consort to gain the power I seek. With their power, I'll release my brothers and sisters from their prison behind the dark gates. Once released, we will spread across the universe, consuming all intelligent life. The Flood of Chaos will rule the universe once again. But we can't do that with the diclonius standing in our way. You stupid foolish humans despised the very thing that could save you as a species, and have cooperated in your own destruction by trying to destroy the diclonius race. Here, let me show you something." He walked over to Rayden's pillar with Yuka. Pointing to Rayden encased in the crystal, he announced, "Do you see that man in there? He is the first of his kind, the cursed Adam of the diclonius race born 1700 of your years ago. Your kind destroyed his family out of fear and hate just because they were different. When he snapped in his rage and grief, I slipped in and took over, just as I did to you. Unfortunately, his twin sister proved too powerful for me to take and she stopped us before I could do what I wanted, imprisoning both of us here in the Collective for 1700 years. Up until a few months ago, I used his body. But when Kakuzawa started his work with the traitorous Queen, I managed to separate myself from him, imprisoning Rayden in this pillar where he could not interfere with me. Now the time has come for me to break out of this prison, swallow Lucy and her pestilent consort, and release the plague of my brothers and sisters upon your world. We will feast upon all humanity."

Yuka's horror rose dramatically. Tears flooded her cheeks, dripping on the floor. "What a monstrous thing to do! I'm dead. I must be, and this must be hell and you, Satan."

"Stupid girl," Calidor hissed. "You have no idea what the true nature of the universe is. Satan and hell are just words. The reality I seek to unleash is infinitely worse. But your putrid family stands in my way."

Yuka became irrationally hysterical. "Go on, eat me, monster! I know you want to!"

"Don't tempt me, foolish girl," Calidor growled. "But since you're so insistent upon me eating you right now, I think I have a better idea, one that will show you just what hell is."

"What's that, demon?" Yuka cried.

"I will not eat you now," Calidor hissed. "I will seal you in a crystal prison like Rayden. There you will remain for all eternity, unable to move or get away from the horrors that I unleash upon the world. You will watch as I consume this world, getting to see every soul I devour through my eyes, and every vile horrid thing I cause your wretched kind to do to each other. Even better than that, you'll get to watch as I consume your friends one by one, starting with your pathetic excuse for a cousin and his bitch Queen. I need their power to enact my revenge on the gods. When I've destroyed everything, I'll then consume Rayden, leaving you for last. You'll get to see the extinction of life everywhere."

Yuka snapped. Her fear evaporated as she realized what her anger and jealousy had unleashed. Anger against herself and Calidor rose uncontrollably. "Monster!" she shouted. "Lucy and Kohta will stop you and come for me!"

Calidor smiled wickedly, his fangs showing prominently, making her cringe. "I'm counting on it, bitch!" he roared. "Now join Rayden in living death…stupid, foolish mortal girl." He stretched out his vectors, sitting Yuka on a platform next to Rayden's pillar. His black eyes flamed with infernal fire as he spun his vectors around Yuka on the floor. A translucent fluid welled up from the floor, swallowing her as she screamed in primal terror. Seconds later, the fluid hardened into a transparent crystalline boulder five meters high, freezing her last expression of terror and pain. As her wail faded away, Calidor laughed maniacally. "Welcome to the Fury, Miss Yuka. I will be sure to prepare a proper welcome for your friends." With that, Calidor left the throne room.

Yuka looked out of her prison, still alive and completely helpless. The tears she wished for wouldn't even drip. "Oh Kohta," she moaned to herself. "You tried to warn me. Now it's too late. I'm really dead this time, and have gone to hell for the way I treated you."

"No, Miss Yuka," a gentle voice echoed in her skull. "You aren't dead, though this infernal place is as close to hell as you can come without being dead."

"Who's there?" Yuka answered fearfully.

"I'm Rayden," the voice replied. "You mustn't give up hope. My sister, Izanami, Queen Lucy, and King Kohta will come for you. You must believe in them."

"I'm such a fool," Yuka berated herself. "I let that thing take me, even after Kohta warned me I wasn't strong enough to look at that stuff. If I only had waited like they asked. Now I'm damned for not listening to them."

"You're no more a fool than I," Rayden said. "When I saw my parents killed, I lost it, just like you did. And when the chief killed himself rather than tell me who was truly responsible, my rage blossomed beyond control, allowing the fiend who took you to capture me. I thank the gods that my sister was able to stop me from killing all those innocent people. But Calidor still had me, and my curse became Izanami's curse, and the curse of all diclonius. I've waited 1700 years for the one who would free me from this curse."

"Who's that?" Yuka asked, her pain beginning to mount as Calidor started his torment of her soul with horrid memories flooding into her mind.

"Lucy," Rayden answered simply. "She and your cousin Kohta have been chosen by Fate to end this war."

"Oh Nyu, Kohta," Yuka wept, seeing the horrors of Lucy's life in her mind's eye. "How I have wronged you. Please forgive me."

"She will forgive you," Rayden murmured. "You must believe in them. Now just be strong for them. Calidor chose you not only because you were close to Kohta and Lucy, but also because you have an indomitable spirit. Your soul cannot be broken. It's a starburst in this dark place. Your love for your cousin set you apart as a great threat to Calidor. Even now, it still binds you to your body, despite what Calidor has done. That's why he influenced your emotions before you were wounded, and why he possesses you now. You must believe in your love and your humanity."

"What is he?" Yuka asked.

"Calidor is an ancient chaos demon, Yuka," Rayden replied. "He and his infernal kind have roamed the universe from time immemorial. They are creatures of the dark dimension from beyond what you know as reality. The peoples of the ancient world fought and subdued many of these demons, sending them back into the dark dimension, but a few of them escaped. Those who escaped the ancient's nets wander the world creating chaos wherever they go, waiting for the time when they have consumed enough souls and gained enough power to allow them to release their brethren. If Calidor consumes Lucy and Kohta, he will unleash an annihilation that will be the extinction of all life."

"Then why am I here?" Yuka queried, feeling the compassion of Rayden's gentle mind.

"You're here as bait," Rayden answered. "…nothing more. But he has underestimated Lucy's power, as he has yours."

"Bait?" Yuka replied angrily. "That's just great! What am I, a worm on a hook?"

"Yes," Rayden stated. "But you don't have to be his kind of bait. As I said, he's seriously underestimated both Lucy and you. Your purity and love for your cousin is a beacon of hope in this infernal darkness. Do you realize that you're the first soul I've been able to communicate with besides Calidor for 1700 years? He has blocked my connection with every other soul, making me watch as he manipulated my people for thousands of years, making them kill each other and any human they encounter. You can't imagine the torment I've endured watching my people destroy themselves. But when Calidor brought you into his domain, a pure living human soul, he made a grave mistake. He doesn't see what I do: a pure, luminous being filled with life and love for another."

"Stop, please stop," Yuka wept. "I'm not pure. My anger and jealousy caused me this misery. I'm not the pure soul you say I am."

"On the contrary," Rayden retorted gently. "You are a righteous soul, filled with purity and love. But like every soul, including me, you're subject to storms of negative human emotion, to storms of anger, jealousy, rage, and hate."

"Stop it!" Yuka begged. "Please stop it! I have no excuse for letting my anger and jealousy do what it did! Now I'm paying for it. I'm not the pure soul you say I am."

"Oh Yuka," Rayden chided, "You don't seem to understand the big picture. Let me ask you this: if you had one more chance, just one, would you react differently to your cousin's love for Lucy?"

Surprise filled Yuka, not expecting that kind of question. "I don't know," she replied. "I've always been ruled by my emotions. I've loved Kohta since I was a little girl. He was supposed to marry me! We were supposed to live together forever! I can't comprehend a life without him."

"And that's how Calidor snared you," Rayden declared. "He preyed on those emotions, using them as a means to create chaos in your life, and eventually capture you. He'll dangle your cousin just outside of your grasp, making you believe that you can have him, only to take him away from you at the last possible moment. By doing that, Calidor will dash your hopes, feed your rage, and deny you happiness forever. Yuka, you must understand that the only way to fight Calidor is to cut the rope he snared you with. Your rope is your belief that your cousin would marry you. Until you let that go and accept the reality that Kohta was never destined to become your husband, Calidor will always have the upper hand over you."

Yuka felt her spirit drop into a pit of despair. "Why do you tell me this?" she wailed. "You're no better than that demon that put me here!"

"Oh Yuka, sweet luminous soul," Rayden murmured. "Your cousin was never meant to be your husband, but that doesn't mean he was never meant to love you. He loves you with a love that rivals the love he has for Lucy. Your cousin doesn't see you as a replacement for his sister. He sees you as a kindred spirit who has always been there for him, even in his worst times. He would die for you without a second of hesitation. Can you understand what kind of love that is, Yuka? Can you? Even now, he plots with Lucy how they will rescue you from this nightmare prison. He means to walk into the depths of this hell to get you back. That's a love I've never experienced because of my own arrogance and conceit. My sister tried to pull me back, but it wasn't to be. Do you hear what I'm saying? If you ever want to escape this dismal fate, you must sacrifice the very thing you hold most dear. Your wish to make Kohta your husband has brought this misery upon you. Relinquish your wish. Cut that rope that binds you and accept him for what he is. Only then, will you be free to find true happiness. Only then will you be able to accept the love Kohta is more than willing to bestow on you."

Rayden's words pricked Yuka's conscious, causing her to ponder his words carefully. "Is this true?" she asked softly. "Is my wish to marry Kohta at the root of my misery?"

"It seems so," Rayden stated. "It has been my curse to watch everything that Calidor has done to every soul he's touched for the last 1700 years, including yours. I'm just telling it as I see it. Your wish to marry Kohta coupled with your hot temper and your terrible jealous streak gave Calidor the perfect combination of negative emotions and will that allowed him access to your mind and soul. If you release Kohta from your wish, then Calidor's power over your soul will vanish. Yes, he will still torment you since he has you imprisoned here. But he will not be able to consume your soul. He consumes souls by corrupting them first, getting them to lose faith in themselves and everything around them. When a soul gives up on everything, including life itself, then Calidor can feast. That's why he imprisoned you here with me. Your soul, your indomitable soul, is too pure and strong for him to devour outright. Your love for Kohta and the rest of your family prevented him from eating you when you challenged him. He couldn't eat you because you hadn't lost all hope. Your mind wasn't in total chaos; moreover, you hadn't given up on everything. Even now, he bombards your mind and soul with terrible images of unrelenting horrors to wear you down so you'll give up. Don't let him win. Let go of Kohta as your husband and embrace him as your brother and kindred spirit, and you will see the power of light over darkness. Trust me; I know Calidor's methods because I have endured them for 1700 years."

"I'm such an idiot," Yuka cried bitterly. "I've made everyone needlessly suffer because of my own stupid selfish arrogance and jealousy. Even when Lucy and Kohta rescued me from that horrid theater the first time, I, like a fool, held onto my wish to marry Kohta, despite the fact I knew Lucy had stolen his heart from me years ago; despite the fact that he was never mine to begin with. God, I'm so stupid! Now, I'm paying for my stupidity in the worst possible way. I don't even know if I'm alive or dead. I can't even speak. All I'm doing is thinking these thoughts, having a conversation with you, someone who claims to have been dead for 1700 years. I want to cry, but I cannot. I don't even know if I'm breathing. All because I was too selfish and jealous of my cousin's love. Damn me for a fool!"

"Don't give up hope, Yuka," Rayden replied. "Your strength is amazing. I've seen Calidor imprison other souls in the same manner he's done to you. But they were not strong. None of them could converse with me the way you're doing. Your living presence gives you the strength to converse with me like this, in violation of Calidor's power. Those other souls he imprisoned here had no sense of their own identity when he snared them, becoming lost in their prison and part of this fortress. Those souls you see in the walls of the castle are those he's imprisoned. But you're different. You're a pure soul, a luminous living being who knows not her own strength. I can easily see it, being one who has seen countless souls imprisoned in this fortress. Calidor will not be able to move your block into the walls until your mind is in utter chaos and all hope extinguished. So don't berate yourself. You're a pure soul with great strength. Do you regret your actions before now, the wrong ones?"

"I do," Yuka sobbed softly, feeling Rayden's words acting as a scalpel cutting away the cancer of her old life. "I wish I could have just one more chance to make things right with Kohta. But it's too late now."

"It's never too late, Yuka," Rayden declared. "You still don't believe that you're still alive. You must trust me when I say this. You are alive. I, on the other hand, am a deceased soul. I know I've been dead for a very long time, so when I look at you, I see the light of mortal life, something I no longer have. It makes you glow like a torch in this place of the damned. And because you're alive, your presence will draw Lucy and Kohta to you. They will come for you."

A gasp escaped Yuka when she felt something stir within her mind, something from outside. Outside the Fury at the same moment, her body lay in the Chimera infirmary hooked into an EEG machine. Kagami hovered over her, pressing her hands to Yuka's temples while using her seldom-used vectors to search Yuka's catatonic mind. The EEG registered Kagami's vector presence in addition to Yuka's nearly flat-line brain activity. "Come on, girl," Kagami begged. "Don't give up. Kohta needs you. Your family needs you." Suddenly Kagami gasped, feeling a twinge coming from Yuka. The EEG lit up as Yuka's brainwave activity jumped for several seconds before settling down into a moderate level of activity. "Come on, sweetie," Kagami cooed. "You're still alive. Please come back to us."

Yuka's mind jumped as Kagami linked with her in her prison for just a moment. Hearing the message, Yuka felt her hope blossom. "I'm really alive," Yuka whispered. "I felt someone probing me. I'm still alive! But how can I be alive and encased in this block too?"

"Never mind how," Rayden beamed. "What you need to do now is dwell on that fact. You are alive, and your friends will not stop until they get you back. Let go of the source of your misery, that old wish that has snared you in Calidor's web. Shatter it, and then forge a new wish with the pieces; a wish that Calidor will be powerless to stop. Accept Kohta's destiny and your new wish will blossom as the cherry tree in the garden of the Kaeda House. Life and light always trumps darkness and death. Use it. As a living soul, use your hopes and wishes to make a difference. Even the smallest, most insignificant soul can alter Fate and change the course of history. Your presence here has already changed the Fates. It has galvanized Lucy's resolve to end the war. Her presence strengthens everyone around her…human and diclonius alike. The closer she comes to the Island, the stronger I become. I can feel it. And your presence is acting as a magnet, drawing Lucy and Kohta to their destiny. They will come and when they get here, she will decide our fates, and send the demon Calidor back into the pit where he belongs. You, Miss Yuka, have become the unwitting hand of Fate that will draw the players together for the final act. This is your chance to show the universe what the human race is made of and affect the fate of untold trillions of life forms everywhere. I believe in you, as does your cousin and the Queen. So let's show Calidor and his kind what we humans can really do. Okay?"

"You really believe in me, don't you?" she asked, awestruck by Rayden's faith in her to do the right thing.

"I do," he replied. "You must believe in yourself as I do. Use your will to cut the cords that bind you. You're a survivor, Yuka, just as Kohta, Lucy, Nana, and Mayu are. Cut the snare Calidor caught you in, and use it against him. Snare him with his own trap."

The chaos of Yuka's mind suddenly melted away as she understood what she needed to do, despite the evil visions and memories Calidor used to torment her. "Yes, Yuka, demolish that wicked wish and turn it into a good wish," Rayden crowed, seeing her finally let go of her wish to marry Kohta, mentally dismembering the wish that bound her with a sorrowful rage. As she did, she felt the chaos of jealousy, anger, and hate melt away, giving her momentary peace.

Yuka felt a smile cross her mind. "Yes, I think I understand now," she murmured. "My arrogance, selfishness, and jealousy created this trouble for me. It kept me from seeing how much Kohta really cared for me. I'll do what I can to help, though I have no idea what it is or how I'm ever going to do it sealed up in this thing."

"Don't you worry about that," Rayden replied. "Just be yourself. You've already done the most important thing by demolishing that old wish to marry Kohta. Now you will be able to focus and do the right thing. Besides, Calidor's greatest weakness is his arrogance and pride. Mayu wounded his pride enough to allow Lucy, Kohta, and Bandoh to get the better of him. I saw it happen. You can do the same now that you're free of his snare. But you must believe in them and yourself. Even more important, you must forgive yourself for what you did to Kohta and Lucy. Believe me; I know how hard it is to do that. My crimes were much more heinous than yours were, but I know you can do it since I did. You must do it and have faith in your family and friends."

Rayden's words struck home with Yuka, creating resolve in her soul. "Thank you, Rayden. You're an angel in this hell. I will believe in them and not let this demon shake me, no matter how much he torments me. In fact, something just occurred to me."

"What's that?" Rayden asked.

"I think I know a way to help them," Yuka replied. "Kohta's favorite song is called Lilium. I know it well because of the music box he bought as a child with that song on it. He played it at Kaeda House often. Maybe it will help me and them if I concentrate on it."

"Anything you can do to weaken the demon's hold on us will help," Rayden chimed. "Try humming it so I can learn it and hum it with you."

Yuka searched her traumatized memory between the horrid scenes sent by Calidor, finding the gem of Lilium sitting there in the form of a music box waiting to be open. She opened it, humming the tune, and felt an amazing peace fall over her that washed away all the horror of what she experienced. The terrible visions abruptly became meaningless to her; just a bad dream the song slowly melted away. A smile crossed her mind as she hummed it louder.

"That tune!" Rayden breathed. "I know that tune…from long ago. My mother…" He began humming it with Yuka. Their humming became a resonate harmony that quieted the Fury around them in Calidor's absence. The faces rising and falling in the walls began to smile as the tune eased their suffering. Moreover, for the first time in 1700 years, Rayden felt peace enter his soul, followed by great resolve to atone for what he did. Together, he and Yuka hummed the Lilium tune, using it as a weapon of war against Calidor, the King of Furies.

Lucy and Kohta lay on their bed in their quarters, gently holding each other while recuperating from the thrashing they received at the hands of Calidor inside of Yuka's mind. They listened intently to the whale song that Fargo piped through the intercom system on the Chimera. Lucy suddenly gasped, quickly sitting up.

"What is it?" Kohta asked, sitting up next to her.

"Listen Kohta," Lucy murmured in astonishment. "Do you hear it, the music box?"

Kohta listened intently for a few moments. His eyes grew wide as Lilium penetrated his mind. "Oh my god, I hear it. But where is it coming from? I can't tell."

"It's coming from the Collective," Lucy breathed. Her eyes grew wide as she recognized the voice. "Kohta, it's Yuka! She and someone else are humming the tune. She's reaching us from the Fury! She's fighting back against the King."

Tears filled Kohta's eyes as he recognized Yuka's sweet hum echoing in his head. "Oh Yuka," Kohta murmured emotionally. "You finally understood, didn't you?"

The room flashed, catching Lucy and Kohta off guard, temporarily blinding them. When their eyesight returned, they stared in astonishment, seeing a ghostly form floating in front of them. Their blood ran cold at the vision of the apparition. It resembled Lucy in a beautiful kimono with bright eyes that seemed to encompass the entire universe. The ghost smiled warmly.

Kohta blinked, rubbing his eyes as Lilium continued echoing in his skull. "Izanami, is that you?" he asked, astonished.

The ghost nodded without saying a word.

"Mother," Lucy murmured. "What is it? Why are we hearing Kohta's song?"

"Yuka has realized her mistake," Izanami replied. "…and endeavors to change her Fate with this song. The power it has when sung by one in love is astonishing. It's weakening the Fury as I speak. We shall use the amazing power of this song. I shall sing it here with my people. You should do the same. It's allowed me to see where my brother and Yuka are being held. But you must hurry. The wall of the Collective is about to collapse. If it collapses before you reach me, I'll not be able to check the progress of the Fury."

"Where is she?" Kohta blurted out. "Is she still alive?"

"She is alive, her mind and soul imprisoned in a crystal boulder next to my brother inside the Castle Nelfheim at the center of the Fury," Izanami stated.

"That's all I need to know," Kohta declared. "I don't care how she's imprisoned. I'm going to break her out and kill that fucker who's did this. His madness ends now."

"Be careful, my King," Izanami replied. "Don't let your anger and fears run rampant. That's how the beast took my brother, and your cousin. You must master your feelings and only use the good ones against the beast. Moreover, we must work together to do it, or we'll not survive the battle."

"She's right, Kohta," Lucy agreed. "We must do this carefully. Remember what Akira taught you. We need to utilize his skills and knowledge to make this work."

"You've done well, my daughter," Izanami chimed. "There's nothing else you need to learn from me. Now is the time to assert your authority. Come to my Island and put an end to the Fury. Let the setting sun show you the way. Be within a half a league of the island before the green flash to reach it. I'll be waiting for you." With those words, the apparition of Izanami vanished.

"Mother, wait! Mother!" Lucy cried out. A troubled sigh escaped her lips as she looked at Kohta. "Do you suppose your song is having that much impact on the Fury, Kohta?"

"I don't know," Kohta replied. "But I do know that song always worked for me when I was down or sad. The fact we're hearing Yuka humming the song from inside the Fury indicates it must be much more powerful than I realized. We should let the captain know."

Lucy nodded. "Let's go tell him." With that, she and Kohta headed to the bridge.

On their way to the bridge, Sen met them. "Lucy, Kohta, you must come to the sick bay at once. It's Yuka," she said urgently.

"What's happened?" Kohta asked tensely.

"Yuka's not completely gone," Sen cried enthusiastically. "Kagami managed to get a small hit on her just a few minutes ago. Now Yuka is humming this haunting tune, and she isn't even awake."

"Lead the way," Lucy ordered. Moments later, they entered the infirmary where Yuka lay on a bed hooked into the equipment. Kohta cringed when he saw it. But he paused, astonished, when he heard Yuka humming Lilium from a deep coma.

"What in the world?" Lucy asked as Kohta sat on the bed next to Yuka, holding her hand. "When did this happen?"

"Just five minutes ago," Ravenclaw declared as he approached them. "Up until five minutes ago, her brainwave scan was almost flat-line, just enough nerves firing to keep her alive. Then when Kagami did a deep telepathic probe, the EEG flared into activity and now Miss Yuka's brain activity has leveled off at a much higher level."

"She's fighting back," Kohta commented, touching his palm to Yuka's forehead while looking into her face. "Something miraculous has happened here that I'm not sure I understand. But she's definitely fighting back against Calidor. I can feel it."

Kagami walked in with a drained look, sipping on a glass of water. "I didn't think I had it in me to go that deep," she stated wearily. "But I found the single strand of her mind and soul still connected to her body, the one piece the King was unable to sever."

"What was that?" Lucy asked.

"Her love for Kohta," Kagami stated. "She loves Kohta more than her own life and that's what has kept her in contact with her body. She still knows who she is and hasn't lost her humanity. But she's in great peril. That much is still obvious. If Calidor finds a way to cut that final strand, she's lost to us forever."

"That's not going to happen," Kohta declared. "Yuka's just too plain stubborn to let that happen. She's not going to give me up without a fight."

Lucy stood over Yuka, staring down into her comatose face as Lilium echoed from her chest ever so slightly. "She's a strong one," Lucy commented, touching Yuka on the cheek. "Everything she's done has shown that strength. But as strong as she is, she cannot hope to break the hold of the demon Calidor without our help. Let me see something." Lucy loosed a single vector that plunged into Yuka's brain. She quickly found the strand of love connecting Yuka's mind and soul to her body. Sending the vector across that bridge, Lucy delved into the heart of the Fury where Yuka's mind and soul lay imprisoned. For a single moment, Lucy looked out of Yuka's eyes inside the Fury, seeing the horrors of Calidor's castle. Lucy shrieked, pulling her vector back before being seen by Calidor. She dropped to her knees, tears flowing from her eyes with a single look of intense horror on her face.

Kagami rushed to her side. "Lucy, are you all right?"

"I…saw what she's seeing," Lucy murmured in utter horror. "I saw it! We have to stop this. Calidor has her imprisoned in a crystal block that allows her to see every vile thing he has done and is doing. I can't fathom how she's able to take that abuse, but she's seems to be using the song to counteract the evil she's immersed in."

"What else did you see?" Kohta asked.

"The castle," Lucy whispered. "It's unspeakable. Calidor has imprisoned every diclonius soul who has come to the Fury and turned them into a living fortress. The castle consists of crystallized souls who perpetually suffer their death agonies while trapped within the walls, just as we saw when you cut the monster's vector loose outside the Collective when I integrated my pieces. We must stop this fiend and rescue those souls."

"Is Rayden there?" Kohta asked.

"Yes," Lucy replied. "He's imprisoned in a giant pillar next to Yuka. His pillar is the key to releasing all those other souls. We release Rayden and we gain an army to fight against Calidor."

"Oh my word," Kagami breathed. "That's vile. You were able to touch Yuka imprisoned in the Collective, Lucy?"

"Yes," Lucy replied as Kagami helped her up. "I want you and Dr. Ravenclaw to monitor her very closely when we get to the Island. She must survive. If I can't save her, a single friend, then how can I save the world? We must save her."

"You will save her," Ravenclaw stated firmly. "I have no doubt of that. And don't worry about us. All of us are behind you one hundred percent, so don't doubt yourself or us for an instant. We are with you to the end."

"Which is closer than you realize," Lucy returned coldly, centering her mind and soul on the job ahead. "But your support is welcome. Come, Kohta, let's go to the bridge. The fact that Yuka is humming your song while in this deep coma indicates the song's power. We must use it to our advantage, like Izanami said."

Kohta patted Yuka on the head gently. "Right," he said, rising to his feet. "Before we go; doctor, did you check Yuka out to see what that fiend did to her?"

"Yes," Ravenclaw answered. "She had swelling of the brain, but we were able to reduce the swelling with a special treatment of drugs and vectors. It's as if she had a bad case of encephalitis without the viral contagion. But we were able to control it."

"Encephalitis," Kohta breathed in horror. "I didn't believe he could do that."

"Well he did," Ravenclaw stated. "But you must not underestimate what you and Lucy did. When you removed the Fury from her, it made my job that much easier. In fact, you got to her before that bastard did irreparable damage. All Kagami and I did was come in and pick up where you left off, patching her up physically. Had you and Lucy not acted when you did, she would have had a massive stroke or heart attack. If that had happened, I would not have been able to do anything to save her."

"Thank you, doctor…Kagami," Kohta murmured. "Thank you for everything."

"You're quite welcome," Kagami replied with a smile. "Don't worry about her. We'll keep a close eye on her. I promise."

Lucy grabbed onto Kohta's arm. "Come on, Kohta," she said softly. "We're just in the way here. We need to go to the bridge and tell Fargo about the music box."

Kohta nodded, casting one last look at his comatose cousin. "Take care of her, doctor."

"Always," Ravenclaw said warmly, patting Kohta on the shoulder as Lucy drew him away. When Lucy and Kohta left, he said to Kagami, "He loves his cousin so much, even after everything she's done to him."

"He has to," Kagami answered. "Yuka is his last link to his old life. He will protect it and her until the day he dies."

"I see," Ravenclaw replied. "It's a shame the rest of the world doesn't have his love for life and family. It would have stopped many from needlessly dying."

"Amen to that," Kagami agreed. Minutes later, a symphony of whale song mixed with Lilium echoed throughout the ship. Kagami and Ravenclaw smiled at each other, feeling the mysterious calming effects of the song as they continued treating those in the infirmary.

Lucy, Kohta, and Fargo stood together on the bridge, listening to the mix of whale song and Lilium broadcast through the ship while the other members of the bridge team continued to work. Miss Karosuma sat at the helm, guiding the Chimera toward the mysterious coordinates Lucy provided.

"My, that's a beautiful tune," Fargo commented, "…and yet, it's strangely familiar. It's haunting."

"That it is," Lucy said as they watched the viewer on the bridge. "I heard that tune the first time I met Kohta. It's a song that has haunted me ever since."

"I can believe it," Fargo stated. "And you say Miss Yuka is now humming this tune while in her coma?"

"Yeah," Kohta replied softly. "I'm at a loss at how she can do that, but she's doing it. Yuka's broadcasting her position within the Collective with the song. She's actually resisting the King."

"I knew she had a strong will," Fargo stated. "I knew it the moment I saw her. She's a natural fighter. By the way, how are you two feeling?"

"A bit on edge and tired, but okay," Lucy stated. "Kohta and I are still feeling some of the effects of that sneak attack inside Yuka's head. But it isn't bad. The music and whale songs seem to be helping more than I realized they would."

Fargo looked at Kohta, who nodded. "She's right," Kohta declared. "It's definitely helping. I can feel a strange calmness on this ship that wasn't here before."

"Captain," Chris called out from his station.

"Yes, Chris," Fargo replied. "What is it?"

"We're approaching coordinates," Chris stated.

"Very good," Fargo said. "Sound General Quarters and prepare to surface. Take us up to periscope depth."

"Aye sir," Chris answered. He picked up the microphone, saying, "All hands, General Quarters, prepare to surface." The alarms blared and flashed for twenty seconds, and then shut off, returning to normal lighting. "Miss Karosuma, take us to periscope depth."

"Aye sir, periscope depth," Karosuma replied, pulling up on the helm. Lucy and Kohta felt the ship rise. A couple minutes later, Karosuma announced, "Periscope depth sir."

"Engines, all stop," Fargo barked.

"Engines all stop, captain," Karosuma replied, shutting down the propulsion. After ten seconds, she added, "We're stopped now, captain."

"Up periscope," Fargo ordered, walking to the periscope as it rose out of the floor. He peered into the viewer intensely, looking in every direction. "It's almost sunset with high clouds. No sign of any strange fog banks, storms, enemy ships, or even an island."

"The island can only be seen at sunset, according to Izanami," Lucy declared. "We need to surface to see the way. Your technology won't be able to see it. We have to use our eyes to find it."

Fargo gazed intensely through the viewer. Seeing no obvious threats, he backed away from the periscope, closing it and pushing it down. "It doesn't appear to be anything out there except open ocean. Chris, surface the ship."

"Aye sir," Chris replied. "Take us up, Miss Karosuma."

"Aye sir, taking us up," Karosuma stated. Everyone heard the ballasts blow. The ship shuddered slightly as it rose through the water. "Five, four, three, two, one," Karosuma counted. "Zero. Okay, we're up, captain."

"Chris, stay here on the bridge," Fargo declared. "I'm going to the observation deck with Lucy and Kohta. Keep an alert eye out."

"Aye sir," Chris barked.

"Follow me," Fargo said to Lucy and Kohta. They followed him to the observation deck on top of the conning tower. They stepped into the airlock and Fargo opened it, leading Lucy and Kohta on top of the Chimera's conning tower. The smell of sea air filled their nostrils as they stepped out onto the outside deck. Lucy's eyes widened with surprise when she looked around. Her mouth fell open as the immense size of the Chimera finally sunk in on her.

"This ship is huge," she commented. "I had no idea it was this big."

"The Chimera is the largest, most advanced submarine on the planet," Fargo bragged. "It's bigger than an aircraft carrier."

"I believe it," Kohta murmured. He looked out over the open water with wonder. "I've never seen the ocean like this before. It's so beautiful."

"Yes," Lucy agreed. "It's so beautiful. But it's also very dangerous, like I am."

"No arguments on that, milady," Fargo said. "I think your comparison is very apt. But where is the Island? I don't see it."

"Patience," Lucy said calmly. "We're in the right place. All we need to do is wait to be shown the way."

As the red sun sank slowly toward the western horizon, an eerie wail rose from the water. Lucy frowned upon hearing it. "Something's going on here," she scowled.

"Yeah, but what?" Kohta asked. "That wail is like what we heard when we were adrift."

"I don't like it," Fargo answered. "Something evil is happening here."

"Quiet," Lucy snapped, scanning the horizon intensely. "Come on, damn it. I know you're there. Show yourself."

When the sun touched the water, the horizon shimmered violently. Kohta saw it first, a mirage to the left of the setting sun. He blinked, and then his mouth fell open. "What the hell is that?" he asked, pointing to the southwest as something enormous flitted in and out of visibility.

Lucy gasped as a pyramidal island with steep flanks covered in lush jungle growth appeared out of nowhere. Her eyes widened as her heart fluttered. "Oh my god, it's real. The Island is real!"

"Holy shit!" Kohta breathed. "It's really there."

"By the gods," Fargo cried in awe. "The legendary island of the Collective, it truly exists."

Lucy snapped out of her awe, saying, "We need to move now, Captain, before the island disappears again."

"Of course," Fargo stated. He pulled out his communicator and said into it, "Chris, can you see the island?"

"The island is not registering on any of the instruments, captain," Chris replied. "Not even on the viewers. Is it really there?"

"Yes," Fargo crowed. "It's for real. Come about to course 353, south by southwest and get the Chimera moving; full ahead. We have a small time window to reach the island before it disappears, according to Lucy."

"Aye, sir," Chris replied through the communicator. "Course 353, south by southeast, full ahead."

The ship started moving toward the island as it flickered like an emerald in the setting sun. As they moved forward, Chris called, "Captain, we need your eyes to make sure we don't run aground."

"Just keep going on this heading," Fargo replied into the communicator. "We're about two kilometers from the island."

"Aye, sir," Chris replied.

Lucy, Kohta, and Fargo watched as the island grew in size as they approached it, with it seeming to rise out of the deep like a great whale. The wailing echo from the water grew more pronounced as they closed in on the island. Kohta looked around, seeing the wake of the Chimera behind them churning as the ship flew through the water. It brought a brief smile to his lips. He turned back to the island, looking toward its northern flank and his spirit sank. "Lucy, Captain…I think we have a problem here," he warned.

"What's the problem," Fargo asked. As soon as he asked the question, he knew the answer, seeing Kohta pointing to a black fog gathering to the north. "Oh shit," he cursed.

"Captain," Chris called. "What is our position?"

"One and a half kilometers, Chris," he answered into the communicator. "Is this as fast as we can move?"

"Yes," Chris replied. "The engines are operating at 98%. Is there a problem?"

"I think it might be," Fargo replied. "That same strange fog we encountered when we picked Lucy and Kohta up offshore of the Institute is back. It's gathering to the north of us."

"Is it moving towards us?" Chris asked.

"Not at the moment," Fargo said. "But I'd rather not wait around to find out. Adjust course five points south. We're going to approach the island from the south side."

"Aye sir," Chris replied. "Five points south. I'll see if we can get some more speed out of the engines."

"Very good," Fargo answered. "We'll keep watch up here."

"Aye sir," Chris answered.

The ship shifted course, moving toward the south side of the island. Kohta watched gathering fog intensely. "Is that what I think it is, Lucy? Is that the Fury fog we saw when we were adrift?"

"Yes," Lucy replied with a sour tone. "We must not let it catch us before we reach the island." She looked at the black fog with great distaste. "He knows we're coming."

"A kilometer from the island," Fargo called into his communicator, his eagle eye scanning the approach intensely. A gasp escaped his lips when rocks came into view just offshore on their approach. "Chris, slow to six knots and adjust course eight points east. We have rocks."

"Aye sir," Chris replied. "Slowing to six knots and adjusting course." The ship moved more eastward to avoid the rocks.

The sun's fiery ball laid two-thirds submerged when Kohta said, "Guys, the fog is moving now. It's coming right at us."

Fargo glanced at the sun, and then at the approaching demon fog. "We aren't going to make it."

"Yes we are," Lucy retorted. "We have to."

"Captain!" Chris called. "The instruments are now reading the island. Sonar and visual are now working normally. We can see the island."

"Take us in, Chris," Fargo ordered. "…and try not to run us aground."

"Aye sir," Chris answered as the ocean swallowed the sun.

Lucy held her breath as the sun sank out of sight, praying the island wouldn't disappear from sight. As the sun sank below the horizon, they caught a glimpse of the rare green flash. A pillar of green light shot skyward from the setting sun as it dropped below the horizon. "Upon my word," Fargo breathed. "The green flash…I never thought I'd live long enough to see one."

"Wow," Kohta breathed, latching onto Lucy's arm. "Seeing that suddenly makes me think everything is going to be okay."

Lucy nodded, keeping her eye on the island. When it didn't vanish, she sighed in great relief. Patting Fargo on the shoulder, she crowed, "Good job, Captain. We made it. How far are we from the island now?"

"About three thousand meters," Fargo said with a smile. "We should try to find a safe anchorage."

Lucy looked toward the island. "There's a cove just over there," she announced, pointing to the shore off to the right. It should be free of rocks."

"How do you know?" Kohta asked.

"Izanami told me," Lucy answered. She looked toward the black fog approaching from the north. "It's within her domain. The Fury will not be able to pursue us there."

"Sounds good to me," Fargo stated. "Come. Let's go back to the bridge."

Minutes later, back on the bridge, Fargo, Lucy, and Kohta watched as Miss Karosuma piloted the Chimera through a maze of shoals and reefs to reach the cove Lucy pointed out to Fargo. "Easy, easy," Fargo cooed to Karosuma. "Two points left."

"Aye, two points left, captain," Karosuma replied. After ten tense minutes of painstaking navigation by the captain and Karosuma, the sonar officer called out, "Sir, we are clear of the shoals and in the cove now. However, we dare not get any closer to the island. The water is just not deep enough. At 1000 meters from the shore, the bottom rises to just ten meters."

"Very well," Fargo said stoically. "Miss Karosuma…all stop, and drop anchor."

"Yes sir," she replied. "All stop." The sound of anchor chains echoed throughout the ship. "Anchors away, captain. We are now secure." Karosuma let go of the helm and slumped in her seat with a relieved sigh.

Fargo patted her on the shoulder, and smiled warmly. "Very well done, Miss Karosuma."

"Thank you, captain," she replied softly, appreciative of his praise.

"Now let's see what we can see," Fargo ordered. "Ron, is our satellite link still operational?"

"No sir," Ron answered. "This island has a strange magnetic field around it that is blocking our satellite links. But I think we can use our exterior cameras to look. Let me try."

"Do it," Fargo replied.

Ron's fingers danced across the console. "Ahh, here we are. I have an exterior view using the periscope and our external cameras and sensors."

"Put it up," Fargo ordered. Ron did as he asked. A surreal view of the island came up on the holographic viewer. A gibbous moon hung high in the eastern sky, bathing the cove in an eerie light. A small beach sat at the waterline just twelve hundred meters from the ship. The jungle covered the island behind it, rising up three thousand meters toward the center of the island. Strange carvings lined the edge of the jungle, drawing their attention.

"What is that?" Kohta asked, pointing to the carvings. "Can you get a closer look?"

"I'll try," Ron replied. The hologram zoomed in on one of the sculptures, eliciting gasps from everyone present.

"What in the world?" Ron breathed. "They look like those giant heads on Easter Island."

"No," Fargo replied. "They aren't the same. Just look at the advance workmanship and detail. These are obviously much older."

"Captain," Lucy said softly, noticing something strange about the carvings. "Look closer. Don't those protrusions remind you of something?"

Kohta's mouth fell open as he saw two telltale knots resembling cat-ears rising just above the temples of the stone heads. "It can't be," he breathed.

"By Izanami!" Fargo murmured. "Those look like diclonius horns. Just what have we uncovered here?"

"Captain," Ron called out, searching the screen of his private viewer. "I think I've found something you should see."

"Put it up," Fargo ordered.

Ron switched the view to a spot high on the mountainside above the beach and zoomed in. Every mouth fell open in astonishment as a temple-like structure similar to those found at Angkor Wat in Cambodia appeared. The jungle had nearly swallowed it, with only the top tiers of the temple visible in the pale moonlight. "It's enormous," Fargo breathed. "Just look at the cyclopean architecture. This has to be the greatest archaeological discovery in recorded history."

"Who made this?" Kohta blurted out. "Do you know, Lucy? Surely not Izanami."

"I don't know," Lucy replied, captivated by the ruins. "I've never seen anything like this before. It's obvious that this place is much older than Izanami is. You don't suppose…"

"…that we may be looking a fragment of the lost civilization of Atlantis?" Fargo asked, finishing her question. "I cannot answer that question. Up until now, I never believed Atlantis existed. But now, I'm not too sure. What I am sure of is that the temple we're looking at here doesn't match up to anything that we've ever encountered before. It seems to be a conglomeration of every ancient civilization from China to Peru."

The temple called to Lucy. "We need to get up there," she announced. "There's something very important there. I know it."

"And so we shall," Fargo stated. "But we just can't charge in there without any preparations in the dark. We need time to get ready."

Lucy turned an icy look to Fargo. "We need to go there now, Captain. The Collective is teetering on collapse. Kohta and I must be on the Island before it breaks. I need not remind you what'll happen if the Collective collapses and we're not in place to stop it."

Fargo sighed. "Of course, milady, follow me. Chris, have a landing party and the skiffs ready to go in ten minutes."

"Aye sir," Chris replied as Fargo walked off the bridge with Lucy and Kohta, heading to the docking bay.

A/N: The players are set and the curtain is about to rise on the final act. Does Yuka have the strength to survive long enough for Lucy and Kohta to rescue her, or will she become just another block in Calidor's fortress, a meal for the demoniac beast? Moreover, what will Lucy and Kohta find on the legendary Island of the Collective? Who built the ruins and carved the giant diclonius heads that line the shore? Are the ruins connected to Izanami, Rayden, and Calidor, or are they from another forgotten time of human history? Will Lucy and Kohta find and rescue Yuka and Rayden from the claws of Calidor, or will they sing the final requiem of annihilation? Keep reading to find out. As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	33. Chapter 33 Angels of the Collective

Chapter 33

Angels of the Collective:

The Dragons of Heaven and Earth

Calidor stormed into his throne room, sensing an opposing influence. "Who dares to resist my will within my own domain again?" he growled. Upon entry, he felt the Fury subdued with Yuka and Rayden humming the Lilium tune. Calidor's rage multiplied as he approached the duo. The song turned his stomach and made his skin crawl with revulsion. He glared at Rayden, hissing, "You've made a grave mistake siding with them, Rayden. You'll suffer for this outrage."

"Keep your threats to yourself, Calidor," Rayden retorted. "There's nothing you can do that I haven't already endured at your hands. You should've left Yuka alone, but you couldn't help yourself, could you? Now you're damned by your own short-sightedness."

"Silence worm!" Calidor roared. "I'm the master here, not you."

"Says you," Rayden countered. "By bringing an uncorrupted living soul in here, you've stupidly undermined your own foundation. Yuka is no longer swayed by the likes of you."

Calidor released a black vector, sending it into Rayden's crystal prison, brutally silencing him with it. "I told you to be quiet, germ. Now you will see how wrong you are."

"Let him go!" Yuka shouted defiantly from her prison.

Calidor turned to her with infernal fire lighting his eyes. "You risk much by thinking to command me, insect," he growled, sending a second vector into Yuka's prison, touching her mind to silence her outburst. "I can eat your soul anytime I want."

Yuka's mind revolted against the blackness that intruded into it. The enhanced visions of death and destruction racing through her head merely galvanized her resolve to fight back against Calidor. "Then why don't you?" she challenged, her voice cracking under the onslaught of evil in Calidor's vector. "I don't think you can. As long as I can keep from losing my mind in this sludge you keep throwing at me, you can't eat me. You can't eat a soul who has not been corrupted into pure chaos. And as long as you want to destroy Kohta and Lucy, I will resist you. You cannot win against my love for Kohta."

Calidor's eyes grew wide at Yuka's challenge as an icy chill raced down his spine from the truth of her statement. "You think your love will save your friends? I think not," Calidor retorted venomously. "I am the embodiment of Chaos. No force in the universe can withstand me."

"And yet Yuka does," Rayden balked. "She has you dead to rights, Calidor. As long as she doesn't allow your chaos to poison her, you can't eat her. To eat her now would be the same as consuming deadly poison. It would destroy you."

"You know nothing," Calidor replied. "Why do you think I would destroy my best bait? You're so stupid. As long as she is here under my power, that bitch and her pest consort will come. A live wiggling worm is so much more effective than a dead one."

"I will not let you kill Kohta," Yuka declared. "And as long as there is life in me, I will fight to protect him."

"Then you will die, first your body, and then your mind and soul," Calidor roared. "You're just a germ trying to resist a god. This is my domain, and I will not tolerate any more dissention. Now have a taste of this, stupid, foolish girl! Try to resist the collective power of Chaos." He launched fifty vectors that swarmed Yuka's prison, plunging into her body and mind, inflicting untold torment on her as her prison glowed like a furnace.

"Nnnyyyyaaahhhh!" she screamed, feeling as if she were burning alive while the horrid nightmarish visions became a deluge. Yuka felt as if she were drowning in a lake of fire; every nerve fiber aflame in horrendous, fiery pain. Hysterical sobs of pain rose like a siren's wail to every corner of the fortress. Yet she refused to beg him to stop, knowing that's what he wanted. Her cry spilled out of the fortress and reached to every corner of the Collective, even into Izanami's domain.

Izanami looked up, hearing and feeling Yuka's cry within her. Tears of anguish, pity, and anger toward Calidor burst forth, flooding her cheeks. "Poor innocent angel," she mourned. "…caught between the powers of Light and Darkness; we must help her, my friends. Sing the Lilium, my people…sing and send its power to her assistance." Izanami began singing Lilium loudly, coupling its power with her own and sending it against the Fury. The souls around her joined in, becoming a heavenly chorus in a full-scale assault on the Fury.

"Stop it!" Rayden shouted as Calidor tormented Yuka. "I swear I'll kill you for this, Calidor! Stop it! She's no match for you!"

"No," Calidor snarled. "…not until she admits I'm master here. I don't need to eat or even corrupt her. I can dismember her mind and soul, cutting it up into so many pieces no one will ever be able to put her back together again. Now who is master here?"

"You are," Rayden conceded. "…for now."

"I wasn't talking to you, vermin," Calidor growled. "I'm talking to her. Now who's in charge here, foolish girl?" He let up on his torment enough to allow Yuka to speak.

"Unnghh…you," she mumbled incoherently.

"Now see, that wasn't so hard," Calidor said, pulling out his vectors. "But if you ever defy me again, I will see to it that you die and your soul is ripped to tiny bits and scattered over the entire earth. Do you understand me?"

"Y…e…s," Yuka moaned softly.

"I don't want to hear that song from you ever again," Calidor demanded. "If I hear it again coming from you, I will tear you to bits, and then sew you back together again, so I can do it again and again and again. And the best thing about that is you won't die. I won't let you. By time I'm done with you, there will be nothing left of you but a husk. So if you don't want to take another swim in the lake of fire or be diced up like a piece of meat, you'd best keep your fucking mouth shut. No more disobedience."

"You fucking bastard," Rayden railed, straining against his prison. "You won't get away with this."

"I already have," Calidor retorted. "You already know I can do what I'm threatening because I've done it to you many times. Yet, you have resiliently resisted my every effort to consume you. However, this stupid insect doesn't have your will or strength. A couple of times through my wringer and she will dissolve into a puddle of goo just like the others. But if you insist on interfering again, I'll seal you up inside your mind forever where no one can get to you; lost forever in the limbo of the damned beyond the reach of even the gods."

"God damn you!" Rayden roared, shaking his prison with his wrath. "Your day is coming, you fucking son of a bitch, and I hope I'm there when they put you down." The tiny cracks in his prison spread, becoming larger.

"You're damned right my day is coming," Calidor countered. "But I'm not the one who will be put down, but you and the rest of your accursed kind. You, your sister, your bitch Queen and her pet insect, and every diclonius and human germ on this planet will die; that I promise you. Now shut the fuck up. I have work to do. You and this pest have already distracted me too long as it is. I have a reception to plan for that bitch and her accursed consort." Calidor launched twenty vectors, which set every nerve in Rayden's body on fire for nearly a minute. He screamed as he felt as if he were immersed alive in a pool of molten rock. After a minute of torture, Calidor pulled back his black vectors with some satisfaction while Rayden moaned in agonizing pain. "That is just a reminder of who is in charge here," Calidor stated icily. "You belong to me forever. Just remember that before you try to resist me again." Casting a cold eye to Yuka, he added, "That goes for you too, human germ. No one escapes from me, no one, so you just as well accept your fate. No one is coming for you; NO ONE." Without another word, Calidor walked out of the throne room.

"Miss Yuka, are you all right?" Rayden called out through his pain.

"No," Yuka moaned. "I still burn. Every inch of me feels like it's still on fire. The pain is so bad I can barely think enough to speak, if that's what we're really doing here. But I'm not giving up. Kohta and Lucy will come for me. I have to believe they will come for me. They did it before. They'll do it again."

"I understand," Rayden replied. "Can you still hum the tune?"

"I think so," Yuka mumbled, her pain evident in her tone. "But I'm scared to do it like before. I don't want him attacking me like that again."

"Then hum it to yourself," Rayden suggested. "I know the tune now. I can keep it going for the others. There isn't anything Calidor can do to me that he hasn't already done. Besides, I'm already dead anyway. What can he do to the dead?"

A painful chuckle rose from Yuka. "I see what you mean," she said. As she finished speaking, Lilium reached her ears from outside, echoing softly through the crystal. She gasped. "Rayden, where is that coming from?"

Rayden listened for a moment in astonishment. "I don't believe it!" he breathed. "The imprisoned souls lining the throne room are humming it. They're starting to rebel against Calidor. Sing the song to yourself, Yuka. Use it to heal yourself, and I'll sing it for everyone else."

"Right," Yuka whispered. She silently hummed the song to herself, not letting the sound of it go outside her own form. As she hummed it, the fiery pain she felt slowly ebbed away, bringing relief to her mind and soul. In the meantime, Rayden hummed Lilium loudly, strengthened by Yuka's resolve and presence as a living soul.

Lucy and Kohta stood in the bow of the skiff as Tsang piloted it toward the shore. Tao and Li Mei sat near the stern with Charlene, Tanya, Saito, and Elle. Lucy's stony gaze reflected her anger and hate for Calidor…the being she finally understood that was responsible for the misery she'd endured as a diclonius. It also betrayed her concern for those she cared for. Time was running out for everyone. Likewise, Kohta's face betrayed anger and concern as the skiff raced toward the shore. He turned his eye to the north, seeing the black fog gathering just beyond the cove where the Chimera sat anchored.

"Hurry, Tsang," Lucy urged. "The Collective is teetering. I can feel it. If the Fury engulfs this end of the island before we land, we lose our chance to stop it."

"Yes, milady," Tsang replied, eyeing the dark fog gathering outside the shoals while throttling up the skiff.

The skiff bounced across the waves, heading directly for the beach. "Lucy, is that black fog going to overrun us here?" Saito asked.

"For the moment, no," Lucy answered categorically. "But when the Collective collapses, it will be free to go wherever it wants, including here. That's why we must reach the beach as quickly as possible and get to the temple. Izanami waits for us up there. I know it."

"Guys," Kohta called out, noticing the moon turning blood red. "Look at the moon. Something is very wrong here."

They all looked up, seeing a bloody shadow crossing the face of the moon like blood dripping down a window. "Oh shit, this is not good," Charlene growled. "The Collective is about to collapse!"

A ghostly wail rose from every direction, the echoing tormented cry of utter pain and devastation of someone in unspeakable torture. Kohta's eyes grew wide as he abruptly recognized the wail. He choked, covering his mouth in utter horror. "Yuka!" he cried, tears rushing down his cheeks as he felt her torment in the wail. "It's Yuka! That's her; I can feel her agony!" Once again, Kohta felt helpless to do anything to stop her torment.

Lucy's face fell in utter shock. Her eyes widened as her mouth fell open. "Oh my god," she whispered, her tone reflecting the terror she felt. "This is unreal! The pain, the unspeakable agony I'm sensing coming from her; it's beyond imagination." Tears broke out onto Lucy's face. "I can't comprehend how a soul can take that kind of abuse! But she is somehow resisting it even now. What an astonishing strength she has. Her cry is reaching every corner of the Collective, even though she isn't a diclonius. How is this possible?"

"I don't know," Kohta admitted. "But we must hurry. Time is running out for her and the rest of us."

Lucy abruptly gasped, her eyes growing wide as she saw something that made her doubt her sanity. She dropped to her knees, clenching her head with her hands and looking into the deck of the skiff. "This…is…impossible! What is this? What am I seeing?"

Kohta dropped at her side as the boat raced toward the sands of the beach. "Lucy, what is it?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her. He gasped, seeing the same thing Lucy saw when he touched her.

"Do you see it, Kohta?" she begged. "Please tell me you're seeing what I'm seeing!"

"I…do," Kohta whispered. "But I'm not sure I believe what I'm seeing myself. It's impossible."

"What's going on?" Tanya asked. "What's wrong?"

"What are you seeing?" Tao asked intensely, feeling a great power affecting Lucy and Kohta. "Are you seeing the future?"

"Dragons…I see dragons, hundreds of them, no thousands!" Lucy cried. "They're coming out of the sky and rising out of the ground. It's a war of dragons. Yuka…she has the wings of an angel. A dragon with Izanami's face is coming down from the sky and a dragon with Rayden's face is rising from the earth. Both are chained with glowing chains with Yuka caught between them, chained to both. Other dragons of earth and sky are swarming to their assistance. There's a shadowy monster dragon like the Beast we saw before with thousands of arms about to devour all three of them. We have to stop this! Please, someone stop this! Don't kill them. Please don't kill them! I want them to live!"

"Lucy," Kohta breathed in awe. "You have the wings of an angel! I can see it! What is going on here?" He and Lucy suddenly froze, their eyes glazing over as the vision ramped up in intensity.

As their vision exploded in intensity, they saw a giant rising from the earth itself, a mountain standing up to the right of where the shadow dragon loomed over Izanami, Rayden, and Yuka. "Choose our destiny, majestic Queen of all Dragons," the earth elemental ordered. "The Dragons of Heaven and Earth have fought each other for eons over control of the destiny of humanity, but now the black dragons of Chaos have risen from the dark dimension to pollute and destroy all life on earth and across the universe. The Chaos Lord is free of his prison, and seeks the destruction of all life, killing the earth itself in the process. The time has come for the Dragons of Heaven and Earth to unite with the angels and the elementals to destroy the Chaos Lord and his fiendish race. It falls to you as the Queen of the Dragons to decide our fate. Behold…see the two possible futures of this world and the universe and choose, or I will choose for you." The elemental colossus waved his hand to the left, pointing. "See what the future holds if you choose death for us."

Lucy and Kohta looked, seeing an endless burning wasteland of ruined cities and countryside without any signs of life anywhere. The skeletons and corpses of billions lay strewn across the landscape with not a plant, animal, or insect left alive. The world lay eerily silent, a burnt wilderness of ash and utter devastation. Lucy shut her eyes, turning away from the horrors of that nightmare world. "No!" she screamed. "Not that! Anything but that! Kohta must live. Everyone must live!"

"Then behold the future you have chosen," the earth elemental stated, pointing to the right.

Kohta looked, seeing a world in ruins, but life remained. The cities and countryside lay destroyed, but plant and animal life continued to thrive without a single human or diclonius in sight. Forests and deserts encroached upon ruined civilization, swallowing it. "What is this?" he asked. "Where are the people?"

"The human race destroyed itself, despite your wish for humans and diclonius to live together in harmony," the earth elemental declared. "And I was forced to cleanse myself without your help. You cannot alter your fate or destiny. Humanity is destined to destroy itself, and when that happens, I will finally be at peace. It is foreordained, and nothing you do can change it."

Lucy's anger rose. "I don't believe that," she shouted. "I've been told repeatedly that I decide who lives and who dies. Destiny and Fate have nothing to do with it. In fact, I believe that the future is not set, and with every decision made, it changes. I reject both of these futures and you will not choose death for us. I will create a new future where the humans, diclonius, and the earth can live in peace with one another. I don't deny that we humans are responsible for making the earth suffer so much. But I refuse to believe that we are beyond hope of redemption. Kohta and Mayu showed me that truth. As long as there is a single soul who lives in peace with the earth and their neighbors, we have a chance. I'll destroy the wheels of Destiny and Fate if they get in my way to insure this future. You speak of destiny. Well, this is my destiny. Everyone I've encountered, both good and bad, have declared that it is my destiny to decide whether the human race and the planet should live or die. Well, I've made my choice. I choose life for both. We will live in peace with one another. I swear it."

The earth elemental looked on her and Kohta soberly. "And thus Fate foretold it that you would answer in this manner. The Fates determined long ago that the seven souls connected to the diclonius Queen of all Dragons would determine our fate. Destiny will draw together the diclonius Queen of all Dragons with her hybrid dragon archangel consort, a pure innocent human soul and that soul's guardian dragon, an angel linked by the blood of the Dragons of Heaven to the Queen's consort, a powerful human warrior of the Light, and a dark soul contaminated by the Chaos seeking redemption. These souls will face the Dragons of Chaos and their King in battle, deciding my fate and the fate of all life everywhere. You have made your choice, Queen of all the Dragons of Heaven and Earth. Life it shall be. But know there are an infinite number of possible futures facing you, some of which will lead you right back to the two futures I've shown you. Be careful in your choices, for your choices will decide your fate and the fate of all life. Now release the Dragons of Heaven and Earth from their prison before the Chaos Lord can destroy them and release his brethren, the Dragons of Chaos. Send him back into his own infernal dimension. Put the world back into balance before he destroys it; Hurry, but beware your approach. Someone has placed dangerous objects in your path meant to destroy you." The mountainous elemental clapped its hands, and crumbled into dust. The shockwave of his clap drove away the image of the shadow dragon, along with the image the imprisoned dragons and angels, rattling Lucy and Kohta's minds.

Lucy and Kohta snapped out of their vision, hearing Li Mei begging, "Milady, Master Kohta…please wake up!"

Lucy shook her head and blinked, her complexion visibly drained as the roar of the skiff returned to her ears. She looked at Li Mei, who had an arm around her. Lucy instantly fell upon her neck with a warm embrace, tears flowing.

"Is everything okay?" Li Mei asked, puzzled by Lucy's behavior.

"I don't know," Lucy whimpered. "But I'm so glad I have good friends to stand with me at the end like this."

"I'm with you right to the end," Li Mei replied. "You're not just my queen, but my sister and friend. We will face this thing together."

"I know we will," Lucy stated. "Kohta, are you okay?"

"I will be," Kohta answered, his face betraying his puzzlement. "I'm still shaken by what we just saw. It was so strange and cryptic. I suggest we keep on our toes from now on."

A strange crackling emanated from all directions, replacing Yuka's ghostly wail. A violent chill raced down Lucy's spine. "We're running out of time. The Collective is starting to crumble. Run the boat aground on the sand, Tsang!" Lucy ordered. "Don't slow down! We have to be on the island before the Collective collapses completely."

"Yes ma'am," Tsang replied. When they came within fifty meters of the shore, the engine died. "No, no, no…not now, goddamn it!" Tsang raged, furiously working the engine controls without success. "We've lost the engine!"

A shadow appeared in the water between the skiff and the shore. Kohta's face fell with great concern when he saw it. "Turn the boat, Tsang!" he shouted. "There's something in the water! Turn!"

Tsang saw the shadowy object rising out of the water, and turned the steering hard left to avoid it. "I'm trying, Master Kohta! The steering won't respond!"

When Lucy saw the object rising out of the surf, she glanced at Kohta with a grim, determined look. "Out of the boat!" she roared, "It's a mine!" Kohta grabbed Saito and Elle with his vectors and jumped, launching himself with his vectors as Lucy, Tsang, Charlene, Tanya, Li Mei, and Tao did the same. Everyone flew like birds over the water towards the shore as the boat hit the object, exploding in a fireball. The shockwave scattered the group, casting them roughly on the black sand beach over a twenty-meter area. They hit hard, rolling in the sand before coming to a stop as pieces of the skiff rained down around them.

Kohta groaned, pushing to his knees, wiping the sand out of his eyes and face. Looking around, he saw Saito and Elle nearby. "Are you guys okay over there?" he asked.

"I'll live," Saito replied, sitting down on the sand as he gathered his wits.

"Me too," Elle agreed. "Thanks for the assist, Master Kohta."

"No problem," Kohta answered rising to his feet. He looked around, seeing Tao and Li Mei sitting up. "Tao, Li Mei, how about you?"

"A little crispy around the edges, but all right," Tao answered humorously, eliciting a chuckle from Kohta.

"I'm okay too," Li Mei replied. "Thanks for asking. How about you, Lucy; are you all right?"

"Yeah," Lucy stated, helping Tanya up. "That was just a little too close. How did that thing know about the mines? And how did mines get here in the first place?"

"What're you talking about?" Charlene asked, letting Tsang lean on her as they walked up. "Did you see something else when you and Kohta suddenly blanked out on us?"

"We did," Kohta admitted. "We saw a mountain stand up and start showing us the future."

"The future?" Tsang asked. "What kind of future?"

"The bad kind," Lucy hissed. "But it makes no difference what future that thing showed us. I refuse to believe that our lives are planned out for us ahead of time. Our future is not set, and never was. Anyway, it said someone left something dangerous on our approach. I'd like to know how it knew someone had mined our path."

"Can't you be a little more precise?" Tao asked.

Lucy gave Tao a sour look. "You do not want to know what we saw," she growled. "Besides, we're wasting valuable time. We must get to the temple."

"Lucy has a reason for not sharing that, Tao," Saito said. "We must trust her in her decision not to tell us. She may believe that by sharing it, it may inadvertently bring that possible future into play."

"Okay," Tao replied. "But can I make an observation before we move out?"

"What is it?" Lucy snapped.

"We're on the legendary Island of the Collective," Tao observed. "As I look around, I cannot help but to feel like we've stumbled into someone else's nightmare. This place doesn't feel real. It's like time has left this place behind. Listen, what do you hear other than the crackling of the Collective about to collapse?"

"I don't hear a thing," Elle stated. "Not a solitary thing…no animals, no chattering of insects, even the drone of the surf and the smell of the air seem distinctly dull and old."

"Exactly," Tao stated. "I've experienced places like this before, but not at this extreme level. My innate ability to sense danger is so high right now that it doesn't seem real. Therefore, I strongly suggest we proceed with extreme caution. There's something inherently dangerous here, something that is potentially lethal."

"I agree," Kohta said. "I feel it too. We must be very careful, Lucy. This place could be loaded with traps."

"I feel it also," Lucy returned. "…and understand what you're saying. Everyone keep together and don't get separated. We must get to the temple right away. Follow me."

With that, everyone followed Lucy and Kohta into the jungle. As they walked through the jungle undergrowth, Saito said, "This place is right down eerie. I feel like someone is watching us."

"Me too," Li Mei replied, her vectors on a hair-trigger. "This place is not what it seems."

"Quiet," Lucy snapped softly. "We don't want to attract attention to ourselves."

"What do you think he meant by 'releasing the Dragons of Heaven and Earth'?" Kohta whispered to Lucy.

Lucy shook her head. "I have no idea," she whispered back. "But there's definitely something supernatural going on here, so keep your eyes open."

"Right," Kohta stated, eyeing the jungle with ever-increasing unease.

They moved on silently through the undergrowth until they encountered a set of carved steps rising up the side of the mountain. "Upon my word," Charlene murmured. "Man-carved steps."

"Possibly," Lucy said cautiously. "Watch your footing." She started ascending the steps with Kohta shadowing her. Tsang, Tao, Li Mei, Saito, Elle, Tanya, and Charlene followed along close behind Kohta.

Halfway up the mountainside, Elle commented, "Does anyone smell that?"

"Smell what?" Tanya asked. "I don't smell anything, just the air that reeks of ancient death."

"No, that's not it," Elle said. "I smell a fire above us. I don't think we're alone here."

Lucy paused, carefully smelling the air. Her face lit up with wonder. "You're right," she murmured. "I smell it too. Someone has a fire going somewhere up the mountain. Come on." She took up the lead with greater enthusiasm. After what felt like an eternity, they reached the top of the steps where a massive gate greeted them, which opened into the courtyard of the temple they saw from the Chimera. Lucy stopped just outside the gates, looking at the walls.

"Son of a bitch!" Saito cursed in amazement, seeing a cyclopean wall rising a hundred meters above them etched with pictographs and sculptures of dragons and gargoyles. "Look at that!"

Lucy felt her blood burning within her as she looked through the gate, seeing a twenty-meter tunnel through the wall with burning torches lining the five-meter high passageway.

"This has to be the strangest thing I've ever seen," Kohta commented, stunned by the odd nature of the structure in front of him. "It's so bizarre and alien, like it belongs on another planet or something."

"Look at all these dragons," Li Mei cried. "I see dragons from every era and from every corner of the globe along with some I've never seen before. Tao, what are we looking at?"

"I don't know," Tao replied. "But this place reeks of a terrible power. I can feel it."

"And we are definitely not alone on this island," Charlene commented. "Those torches didn't light themselves."

"You're right. We aren't alone," Lucy declared. "Follow me, and don't fall behind. There are angry ghosts all around this place. I can feel them."

"Lead on, milady," Tao said formally.

Lucy stepped into the tunnel with her vectors ready to attack anything that crossed her path. "Stay close, everyone," she ordered, beckoning to her companions.

Kohta shadowed her as they slowly walked through the passageway. He eyed the hieroglyphics on the wall, seeing them repeat. "Look at this, Lucy," Kohta noted. "This writing repeats over and over again. I wonder what it means."

"Makes no difference," Lucy said coolly. "We have a job to do."

"It's a variation of an ancient Egyptian dialect spoken in the Old Kingdom," Saito called out, studying the writing as he walked by it. "A rough translation is 'We, the Dragons of Heaven and Earth, are watching you.' Though I'm not sure that's the right translation. This is a dialect I've never encountered before."

"That's positively unnerving," Tanya replied. "I hope I don't meet a dragon."

"I don't think that's likely," Charlene stated. "It's obvious that this is some kind of dragon shrine. But dragons are mythological. They never existed. It's more likely that the people who built this place were worshiping the primal forces of nature, and so happened to use dragons as the way to identify them, just as the people of China and Japan did in their mythology."

"I don't know," Lucy commented. "There's something strange about this place. It's connected to the Collective. I can feel it. Izanami is close."

"You don't really think we're going to find her here, do you?" Tanya asked. "Izanami has been dead for 1700 years." As she spoke, they walked out of the passageway, entering a vast courtyard covering more than twenty acres. Dozens of dragon statues stood as silent sentinels across the courtyard with the temple covered in dragon icons rising 200 meters in height on the far side of the plaza. It resembled a cyclopean variation of the Temple of Light at Angkor in Cambodia. To the right of the temple entrance stood a large raised platform surrounded by twelve six-meter high dragon sculptures arranged in a circular pattern. In the center of the circle on the platform sat four sarcophagi, side by side. "Oh my god," Tanya breathed in utter astonishment at the view before her. "What is this place?"

Lucy felt that her eyes were going to bug out of her head. "It can't be," she whispered. "This is impossible! This can't be here!" She took off running toward the platform.

"Lucy, wait!" Kohta called out, going after her.

"Come on," Tao said to the others, taking off after Kohta and Lucy. The others rushed after Tao, Lucy, and Kohta,

Lucy ran up on the platform and stopped dead in her tracks. Her face paled as she saw the four sarcophagi. Fear rose in her as Kohta stepped up beside her. "What the hell?" he asked. "This looks just like where Izanami buried her parents and her brother, except that it has one extra coffin. Just what are we looking at, Lucy?"

Li Mei, Tao, Charlene, and Tanya walked up on the platform while Saito and Elle stood just off it. "I don't know," Lucy stated in a shaky tone. "I didn't really think this place existed. But here it is, if my eyes aren't deceiving me."

"Whose graves are these?" Saito called out.

"Lucy," a ghostly voice echoed on the wind. "Lucy…come to me, my daughter. See and doubt no longer who you are. See the truth."

Elle's blood ran cold when she heard the voice. "Did you hear that?" she asked fearfully.

"I did," Saito said grimly. "This is a place of gods and demons. We must be very careful not to antagonize them."

Lucy felt a force pulling her forward toward the sarcophagi. Yet she resisted. "Kohta, I'm so scared that nothing seems real," she admitted, her hands shaking. "But I feel the pull to these graves. I must know, but I fear what I will find."

Kohta looked her in the eye as he grasped her trembling hand. "I'm with you, Lucy. You don't have to look alone. We're in this together, to the very end."

"Lucy," the ghostly voice echoed louder across the courtyard. "Come to me, my daughter. See the truth of who I am, and who you are." The dragon statues surrounding the platform suddenly breathed fire, becoming a circle of flaming torches in the scarlet moonlight. Everyone except for Lucy and Kohta fled the platform. "See the truth of our race, my precious daughter," the voice called out clearly from all directions. "And free us from our prison."

Lucy lunged forward, unable to resist the call any longer. Kohta followed at her side to the first sarcophagus. She scanned the cover, seeing a hieroglyphic inscription. Staring at the writing, she hesitantly touched the inscription. Her pulse jumped wildly. "What is this?" she asked breathlessly. "Somehow, I know who this is, yet I cannot understand this strange writing."

"This seems so familiar," Kohta stated, touching the sarcophagus as well. "It looks so much like Izanami's sanctuary at the edge of the Fury. If I remember correctly, the edge of the Fury should be just over there." He turned, facing the temple while pointing to the right of the great structure. "But there's nothing there but a wall."

"Of course there's nothing but a wall," an ancient voice called from the entrance of the temple. "The Collective and its Fury lie in a different dimension from ours; accessible only from this place by a chosen few." Everyone turned to the temple entrance and gasped, seeing an ancient woman wearing a kimono and a sober smile, leaning on a cane that appeared as old as she was. "Welcome, to the Temple Shrine of the Dragon Emperor, Ryu-Wo-Chin…lord of the Dragons of Heaven and Earth, my friends. Do you seek to honor the fallen in the circle of the dead before you?"

Kohta blinked, not believing his eyes. Saito stared at the old woman in astonishment. "An Emishi wearing a style of kimono not seen since the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate; what in the world is going on here?" he murmured in awe, recognizing the physical traits of the vanished Emishi people of northern Japan in the old woman.

"Fascinating," Elle breathed, entranced by the old woman. "Obviously she's a priestess of some kind, maybe even the guardian of this place."

Lucy stared in disbelief. "Who are you?" she asked carefully. "I thought this island was deserted of human life."

The old woman chuckled, stepping out of the temple in a non-threatening manner leaning on her cane. "No, my child," she answered calmly, slowly walking toward them, "This island has been the home of my clan for over 1700 years. Here my clan has lived in peace, isolated from the perils of the outside world while it protects the secrets of the Ancients."

"Who are you, wise grandmother?" Kohta pleaded, feeling something extremely familiar about the old lady. "Please tell us, and tell us who rest here in these graves so that we may honor their memories."

The old woman smiled knowingly at Kohta. "Ahh…the hybrid dragon consort of the Dragon Queen, created with her own blood in an effort to save your life. The players are finally in place."

"What did you say?" Kohta asked, dumbfounded at her statement. "How did you know that Lucy used her blood to save my life?"

The old woman walked between the first and second sarcophagi, turning around to face Kohta and Lucy. "Surely the archangel King of all the diclonius need not ask such a trivial question. You know who I am, as does my precious daughter here."

"It can't be," Kohta breathed, becoming numb with astonishment. "Izanami?"

The old woman chuckled again. "Yes and no," she answered. "I and my family are the last living descendants of Izanami. I am called Kyoko Nariko Seiyuchin. As the priestess of this place, I am the last conduit for Lady Izanami. We have been waiting for your arrival for many, many years."

"Did you say Nariko?" Li Mei asked from a distance. "Are you by any chance related to Master Akira Nariko?"

Kyoko turned to the others and waved them forward. "You may come up here. There's no need to fear me or this place. Even the humans are welcome as long as they show the proper respect for this sacred ground," she ordered. Everyone approached, gathering around. Kyoko looked at Li Mei and smiled. "Ah…the Queen of Tibet and her king…magnificent Dragons of Heaven; to answer your question, my dear…yes, the man you knew as Akira Nariko was my younger sister's oldest son. She chose to go out into the cruel world while I elected to remain and protect this sacred place until the fated day, which has finally come."

"Who are you really, old woman?" Lucy asked coldly. "I don't have time for a trip down memory lane. The Collective is collapsing as I speak and we have to rescue Yuka and Rayden from the demon Calidor before he destroys them."

Kyoko looked at Lucy sternly. "Be careful, my Queen, impatience will get you killed here. You should listen to what I have to say for it may shift the balance in your favor, or against it," Kyoko said stonily, resting her hand on the end sarcophagus. "As I said, I am one of the last living descendants of Izanami Usagi Seiyuchin, who rests right here in this sarcophagus." With that, Kyoko's hair floated as she released five hundred vectors at once, forming them into great angel wings ten meters across which everyone saw clearly. "I am the Guardian Archangel standing in the way of the Skull fiend, the Chaos Lord of the Dragons of Chaos. Be still and listen to my tale, and then you will be ready to take the battle to your enemy, the Chaos Lord, Calidor."

Charlene gazed in astonished awe at Kyoko. "You!" she breathed, falling to her knees, reaching out to touch Kyoko with her hand. "You saved me. But I thought you were Izanami? How is this possible?"

Kyoko smiled warmly, touching Charlene on the hand with a luminous vector. "Oh my dear Queen of America, my precious Dragon of Earth…Izanami and I are one and the same. I'm Izanami's present incarnation and conduit to this world. I act according to her will, just as Queen Lucy does, and as all those who hear her voice. Izanami lives on inside each of us with each piece of the Collective we possess, and within the Collective itself. However, she does not physically exist anymore than Rayden does. Her body perished long ago and lies here next to her parents, Mamoru and Yuki Seiyuchin, with her brother, Rayden lying just there next to his father."

Lucy felt a lump of emotion rise in her throat, along with a pang of regret. "Kyoko, please forgive me for being so short with you," Lucy murmured. "You're the physical manifestation of Izanami in this world. Please, reveal her to us so we may have no doubts. Please." Lucy's eyes grew wide and gasps escaped from the others as Kyoko smiled, her apparent age vanishing before their eyes.

"By the gods!" Tao breathed as Kyoko became the living vision of Izanami that caused her to look like Lucy's twin. He dropped to his knees before the image of the matriarch of the diclonius race. "I believe! Izanami! I never thought I'd get to see her in the flesh! But here she is!"

Li Mei and Tanya likewise knelt before Kyoko. Saito and Elle also knelt, knowing they basked in the presence of a superior being. Kohta stared into Kyoko's eyes, seeing the eyes of Izanami shining forth. His heart skipped a beat as he thought of his own precious Lucy. "Tao's right," he whispered, in awe Kyoko's vision of Izanami. "I never thought I'd get to meet Izanami in the flesh. But here you are. I believe!"

Lucy stared into Kyoko's face, seeing a mirror image of her with Izanami hiding behind Kyoko's eyes. Her mouth twitched as tears welled up. In an instant, Lucy saw the image of her true mother…the one who gave birth to her in Kyoko's face. "Momma?" Lucy questioned, not believing her eyes.

Kyoko opened her arms to Lucy. "Yes, my precious Kaeda," Kyoko said softly using the voice of Lucy's true mother. "I'm here. I've always been here, waiting for you with Izanami. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you."

Lucy's hard exterior broke. "Momma!" she cried, latching onto Kyoko in a passionate embrace. "Why did you leave me, momma, why? Dad threw me away after you left! Why did he do that?"

Kyoko stroked Lucy's hair softly while rubbing her back with the other hand. "Oh my precious Kaeda," Kyoko cooed. "I'm sorry I was not there for you. It could not be helped. My death was not your doing. It wasn't your fault. It was my destiny to die when I did. I couldn't stop it no more than you can change who you are. When the gods call us, we mortals have no choice but to go. I'm so sorry I couldn't be there like I wanted. But I was there for you in your heart, and thanks to this precious young hybrid dragon that has sacrificed everything for you, you remembered me."

Lucy backed away abruptly, anger flaring in her eyes. "Destiny?" she howled in rage. "How can you say it was destiny for you to die and leave me alone in such a savage world? I've had it with everyone saying it's my destiny and fate to do this or that! Even that mountain who showed Kohta and me our supposed futures claimed we could not change our fates or destiny. I intend to prove everyone wrong, even the gods, if they truly exist. We make our own destiny, and our fate is not set as everyone claim it is. I changed my fate by not dying on the 787 bridge and going back to Kohta. He is the only thing of value in my wretched existence, and I intend to protect him to my dying breath. Fate, Destiny…fuck them! The future isn't set and I create my own future and destiny and no one else. No one has the right to define my fate except me!"

Kyoko smiled broadly. "You finally understand the paradox, my daughter. This battle is not just the battle for the soul of the human race; it's for their right to determine their own fate. The gods should not be able to toy with human souls and destiny the way they do. You are ready to know the ultimate truth now."

"What're you talking about?" Kohta asked. "I thought what you just said was the ultimate truth about why we're in this dreadful position."

"What I told you is true, but not the ultimate truth of your existence, Kohta," Kyoko stated. "It's time for Lucy, as the diclonius Queen of all Dragons, to understand our place in the universe."

"You have my attention," Lucy said coolly.

"Look about you, Lucy. What do you see?" Kyoko asked.

"I see dragon statues everywhere," Lucy stated. "But I have no idea why they are here or what they are supposed to mean. I don't even know who built this place. I'm sure it wasn't you."

"You are correct," Kyoko replied. "We had nothing to do with the building of this place. It was ancient long before Izanami found this island. I will tell you about this later. For now, think back to the vision you had right after you sensed your friend in torment deep within the Chaos Lord's domain. What did you see?"

"I saw two dragons, one of earth and one of heaven chained together with Yuka chained between them," Lucy stated. "She had the wings of an angel. Then there was this shadowy thing that looked like the monster in that psychic dream we had trying to destroy them. After that, we saw this mountain stand up and tell me about how it was my fate and destiny to choose between two equally dismal futures. It really pissed me off how it said I had no say in my destiny or fate. What was that thing anyway?"

"That was the Spirit of the Earth," Kyoko declared. "The Earth is severely wounded, and very angry because of what humans have done to it. It wants retribution and a rebalancing of the scales. The Earth wants peace with all its life form, but humans have driven it to the verge of demanding their extinction in order to rebalance itself. But it is also giving us one last chance to change our fate. What else did the Earth say?"

"It said something about how the Dragons of Heaven and Earth constantly fought over the destiny of man," Kohta answered. "It also said that some kind of chaos dragon from what it called the dark dimension declared war on both the heaven and earth, hoping to annihilate both and kill all life everywhere."

"It said we needed to release the Dragons of Heaven and Earth," Lucy added. "It said I was the Queen of all the Dragons, just as you keep saying. What does it mean? How can I be a dragon? I'm just a diclonius. I don't look like a dragon."

Kyoko smiled. "Search your memory about the vision and the answer will become clear," she said. "Did you see who the two imprisoned dragons were with your friend chained between them? I know you did because you told your friends about it while it was happening."

Lucy thought about it for several moments, and then her mouth fell open. Her eyes darted to Kyoko's eyes for confirmation. "They're you and Rayden, aren't they, Izanami?" Lucy asked in astonishment.

Kyoko clapped, her face beaming with jubilation. "Oh my precious daughter, you see it now, don't you?" Izanami cried from within Kyoko, taking control from her. "You finally understand what we are."

"You're saying that the diclonius race is a race of dragons?" Lucy asked. "How is this possible? How can the diclonius, an offshoot of the human race be a race of dragons? I just don't understand it. And what about Yuka in the vision. Why does she have angel wings?"

"Simple," Izanami replied. "It's because Yuka is an angel, but she doesn't know or understand it yet. Whether you like it or not, Fate has woven a wonderful tapestry here. Yuka is Kohta's cousin, just as Kagami is Kohta's cousin."

"That means then that Yuka is related to Akira, just as I am," Kohta declared, trying to piece together the puzzle. "It also means that all three of us have roots back to you, Izanami. Am I analyzing this correctly? If Yuka has your DNA floating within her, then that means…"

"Yuka is like you, Kohta," Izanami stated. "She is a hybrid; neither human nor diclonius. She is an angel, like you. Didn't you ever wonder why you felt so comfortable around her, like she was a kindred spirit who always understood you?"

Kohta's eyes grew wide. "Oh my god," he breathed. "I was reacting genetically to her without realizing it. She's my twin star and always has been. That's why I've always loved her so."

"You catch on quickly, Kohta," Izanami declared. "Yes, Yuka is your twin sister star, your kindred spirit because of me. That's why she has been so jealous of you. She never understood the connection you and her had. She always thought of it as a lover's love. But now she has realized the error of that belief. She now sees you as her Gemini twin, a kindred spirit, and twin brother who has done everything for her without any thought of recompense. Her only thought and wish now is to protect her brother with her very life. She is awakening to her power as an angel through the misery she has endured. Even now, she fights an impossible fight against the Lord of Chaos within his own domain, tied to my brother, Rayden, who seeks redemption in the Light, which she is providing to him, strengthening him. At the same time, she draws strength from his presence, as well as from her love for you and the rest of your family. Moreover, she has discovered the power of the Lilium…a song you revere. She uses its power against the one who has imprisoned her."

"What do you mean the power of Lilium?" Kohta asked. "I know it has some strange ability to calm the Fury, but I never knew why. What're you not telling me?"

"Lilium is also known as the Requiem of Annihilation in the ancient tongue," Izanami said. "It's a song that is old as time itself. Legends say the gods passed it down to the Dragons of Heaven and Earth as a way to combat the evil of the Chaos fiends. The dragons passed it on to a select group of humans who helped them destroy the Chaos fiends. Its power is in its ability to create order out of chaos, to bring balance to whomever uses it, and to annihilate evil, darkness, and chaos from the universe wherever it is invoked. This song has been around since the dawn of civilization, known only to a handful of warrior priests who worked with the Dragons of Heaven and Earth to defeat the Chaos dragons. The song takes the chaos of death and turns it into a celebration of life, making the singer and those who hear it rise from the darkness and chaos of despair and destruction into the light of life never forgotten. It turns the despair of death on its head, allowing all to feel the light of life and order in the darkest chaos and death. The chaos cannot abide it. The song destroys chaos, and will destroy the Chaos Lord if enough people use it against him."

"Wow," Elle murmured. "That is a fascinating story that explains how the song stops the Fury. I had no idea that a simple tune like that had so much power, nor had any idea it was that ancient. As interesting and relevant as it is to our present circumstances, it's but a tangent to what you were telling us about Kohta and Yuka. Please continue with your explanation about them. What makes Kohta different from Yuka in this situation, since both of them apparently have fragments of your genetic code within them? How does your DNA figure into their present situation?"

"An excellent question, Elle Eldritch," Izanami replied. "As I said, my genetic material was passed down through the generations to both Kohta and Yuka, making them different from the rest of humanity. However, because of how watered down my genetic material was when it reached them, Kohta and Yuka believed they were just regular people. And they were just regular humans, on the surface. Nothing led them to believe otherwise. They didn't have the physical characteristics of the diclonius, nor any of our other traits. No tests would have ever shown anything out of the ordinary. They had no idea that my DNA lay buried within their genetic code, but it was there nonetheless. Therefore, when you, Kohta, were badly injured and Lucy provided her blood to save your life, her blood activated the dormant genetic material you received from me, allowing you to become not just an angel, but an archangel, a hybrid dragon and King of the Dragons of Heaven and Earth. You, Kohta, became the bridge that will span our two races and allow us to live in peace with each other and with the planet. And this same dormant DNA within Yuka is allowing her to tap into the strength of the diclonius race without being a diclonius, enabling her to withstand tortures no normal human mind or soul could ever resist. That makes her the angel the Earth spoke of in your vision."

"So let me get this straight," Lucy said. "Yuka is an angel because she has traces of your DNA, which is allowing her to resist Calidor as we speak. If she didn't have this DNA…"

"She would have been consumed by the Chaos Lord when she first fell to him in the Kaeda House courtyard at the beginning," Izanami said soberly. "But between her love for Kohta and my DNA, she has developed the powers of an angel. That is why you saw her with angel wings, and why I was able to help you to release her the first time. My genetic material allowed me to come to her assistance."

"Then how did we get to be dragons?" Lucy asked bluntly. "I'm positive this place has something to do with it."

"And so it does," Izanami stated. "As you saw, Rayden and I are elder Dragons of Heaven and Earth. I'm the Dragon of Heaven, which is why the Chaos Lord wasn't able to take me when he took my brother, who was a Dragon of Earth. My connection to the stars, the gods, and to the sense of right and wrong instilled in me by my beloved mother and father prevented my rage from overpowering me. Rayden is connected to the earth, and feels the pain and suffering of the earth, which served as fuel for his rage. However, he relinquished his connection to me and the heavens when he tried to slaughter the innocents in that village in his grief over our parent's slaughter. That allowed the Chaos Lord to take him. I remember that day vividly and saw when it happened. The light in his eyes went dark when the chief killed himself, effectively eliminating our ability to find out who was responsible. His whole personality changed when he became the Fury, which was just a cover for the Chaos Lord, Calidor."

"That still doesn't explain how we are dragons," Li Mei declared.

"No, it doesn't," Izanami agreed. "Whether you believe it or not, we are not alone in this universe. The ancient myths about gods and dragons are tied to a reality that has been lost to your generation. To explain this, we must go into the temple of Ryu-Wo Chin, where the history of the world has been recorded from the beginning. Follow me."

"Wait," Lucy insisted. "We must pay our respects to you and your family first. Allow us a moment, please Izanami."

"Very well," Izanami replied, stepping away from the sarcophagi.

Lucy touched Izanami's crypt, and then each of the others in turn, leaving Rayden's tomb as the last. Each time she touched a sarcophagus, a vision of each person flashed in her mind. When she touched Yuki's crypt, Lucy gasped, seeing Yuki Seiyuchin looked remarkably like her biological mother. Tears dripped from her eyes. "My past," Lucy whispered. "Why am I always haunted by it? Why am I finding out this now? This all seems so familiar."

"I don't know," Kohta replied, following her example, touching each crypt briefly. "But I am beginning to think there may be such a thing as Fate. Surely some intelligence has brought us to this place at this point in time."

Everyone else gathered around, paying their respects to those interred in the crypts in their own way. Saito bowed to the graves. "We honor you, and your lives, great ones. I only regret I never knew you. Imagine what you could have taught us in your wisdom. Please, rest in peace in this holy sanctuary, and bear us no hatred for intruding upon your rest."

"Time is short, my friends," Kyoko announced, her face having returned to the old woman Lucy and her companions first met, with her vector wings gone. The change surprised everyone present. "Izanami has returned to the Collective to help the angel Yuka and prepare for the final battle," Kyoko declared. "Please, follow me into the temple, and see the ultimate truth of your existence as Dragons of Heaven and Earth. Come with me into the inner sanctum of Ryu-Wo-Chin and everything will become clear." Kyoko bowed to Lucy and Kohta, gesturing to the temple as she pleaded with them.

A rumbled echoed over the plaza, coming from all directions. "Oh," Li Mei moaned. "It's coming down. I can feel it!"

"We must hurry," Kyoko insisted. "The total collapse of the Collective is upon us. Please, my Queen, you must hear my story before you go into the Fury. Follow me, quickly." Kyoko moved toward the entrance of the temple. Hearing the urgency in Kyoko's voice, Lucy followed. Kohta shadowed her, as did the rest of her companions as Kyoko led them into the Temple of Ryu-Wo-Chin.

Standing at the edge of the Fury, Calidor saw Lucy, Kohta, and her companions enter the Dragon Emperor's temple through a window in the Collective. A vicious growl rose from him as he watched. "Stupid bitch," he hissed. "They are but insects fighting a god. They will all die."

"I think not, Calidor," Izanami called out from her side of the Collective, standing face to face with the demon. "The time of reckoning has come."

He looked at her with pure hatred, his black eyes burning with infernal fires as he saw her standing in armor ready for battle. Casting a wicked grin at her, he snarled, "Nothing you can do will stop the hand of Fate, bitch. Don't think I haven't noticed what you're trying to do. You think awakening the Dragons of Heaven and Earth will save your kind from me…a foolish futile gesture to be sure. There is no force in the known universe that can stop me. I will soon break out of here and you will be my first victim, Dragon of Heaven."

"No, it's you who are fooling yourself, Calidor," Izanami returned venomously. "You are blinded by your own arrogance and power. You foolishly tried to destroy a power that could not be destroyed. Therefore, when the Dragons of Heaven and Earth awaken and unite in battle, we will cast you back into that black abyss from whence you came. Even the Earth itself has risen against you. The angels and elementals will flock to our cause and you will join your brethren in the dark dimension for all eternity."

"Strong words from a bitch whose lost ground for the last eight hundred years," Calidor hissed. "But it's meaningless posturing. You're desperate because you know you are going to lose this fight and your soul to me. Now go away and value your last moments of life while you can. When this is over, you will be nothing but a feast for me and my brothers and sisters."

"Meaningless posturing is it?" Izanami asked. "Well if I am about to die anyway, then the very least I and my children can do is sing a requiem for our demise. Come to me, my friends, my children, and let's sing the Requiem of Annihilation for Calidor to mark our passing." Countless diclonius souls within Izanami's domain appeared at her side, including Jin Ryu Osabi and Akira Nariko.

"What?" Calidor shrieked in surprise, backing away from Izanami when he heard her declaration. Izanami and the entirety of those within her domain sang Lilium with passion and power, directing it at Calidor. The music sliced through the barrier between Izanami and him as if it weren't there, viciously battering him. Calidor cringed, backing away as a vampire flees from the sunlight. A primal scream of pain echoed through the Fury from him. "Damn you bitch!" he screamed in agony. "This isn't over!" Calidor fled the battlefield, unable to withstand the power of the Requiem of Annihilation sung by Izanami and her children.

A cheer rose from Izanami's side as Calidor disappeared into the Fury. Izanami raised her hand and everyone quieted. "Cheer not, my children," she said. "This was but a skirmish. The Chaos Lord now knows we have the Requiem at our disposal as a weapon. He will no doubt try to find a way to counter it, so we must be diligent. Sing the Requiem at all times, sending its power and strength to my brother and the angel Yuka, who lie trapped in the center of Calidor's domain. We must strengthen them until our Queen and King take the war to him."

"We will do as you command, milady," Akira replied. "And I have a special stake in this since the Lady Yuka is my kin." He turned to the countless diclonius souls behind them, shouting, "Sing, Dragons of Heaven and Earth, sing for the lives of every soul who ever lived and ever will live! Sing!" Izanami's children broke into a heavenly choir, singing Lilium, the Requiem of Annihilation for every soul captured within the Fury, and every soul that ever walked the earth.

Izanami smiled broadly. "We now have a chance to make things right," she murmured. "All thanks to the angel Yuka and her cousin, Kohta. They showed us the weapon the Ancients had against the chaos without even realizing it; a weapon we have forgotten. Thank you, Kohta…Yuka. I pray we are able to help save them."

"We will," Akira stated, standing next to Izanami. "It's our destiny."

A/N: The players are on the stage and the curtain is about to rise. An impossible truth is about to be revealed. Kyoko Seiyuchin, the last of the Seiyuchin clan acts as a channel for Izanami, providing Lucy and Kohta with vital clues to their destiny, which remains in flux. Even the Earth itself has risen to give them a warning in visions of terrible futures where humanity is extinct. Talk of angels and dragons shake Lucy and Kohta's belief in the reality they know. Is Izanami right; is the diclonius race a race of dragons divided into dragons of heaven and earth there to protect humanity from the scourge of the Chaos Lord Calidor? Or is this just a fairy tale meant to keep Lucy and Kohta from rescuing Yuka and Rayden, and setting the universe back in balance? Will Lucy and Kohta find the ultimate truth of their existence in the temple, or will they succumb to the temptation to abandon everything and let the world die? Does the fate of life everywhere truly depend on the seven souls identified by the Elemental Earth? Keep reading to find out. Reviews are always welcome. When reviewing, be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	34. Chapter 34 Shrine of the Dragon Emperor

Chapter 34

Shrine of the Dragon Emperor

Lucy stared in awe as Kyoko led everyone through a magnificent passageway. Golden carvings of dragons, monsters, great diclonius warriors, and human heroes encrusted with precious gems covered the walls and ceiling, glittering in the torchlight. "Look at that!" Elle breathed in utter awe. "There's more gold here than in the entire world! And look at how all these figures seem to be looking in the direction we are moving."

"I noticed," Saito said. "I'm feeling like I'm intruding where I don't belong. It's like out of a fairy tale, especially with all the precious metals and stones used in these carvings."

"So do I," Charlene whispered. "This place is unreal."

"Who are these supposed to represent, Kyoko?" Kohta asked, awed not just by the wealth present, but the individual detail of the icons.

"This passageway is called Guardian's Way," Kyoko declared. "It shows every guardian of the Light that has ever existed fighting against the Lords of Chaos since our earliest history. This hall is here to honor them and their sacrifice to keep the Dark Lords in check."

"Is that real gold overlaying these carvings?" Tanya asked, taken by the wealth she saw around her.

"It is," Kyoko replied. "This temple is filled with such precious stones and metals: a fitting tribute to the Dragon Emperor. The precious metals and stones you see all around you help to create a barrier against the Lords of Chaos and their corrupt dragon minions. The ancients knew the power of these materials, particularly gold in its ability to create order out of chaos and act as a barrier against the dark dimensions. That is why they covered this temple in these materials. Now come…we must hurry to the central shrine. The Collective is crumbling."

As they picked up the pace, Kohta noticed the presence of many diclonius images on the walls in association with the dragons. "Kyoko, why are there so many diclonius carvings in close proximity to the dragons? What does that mean? It gives me the impression they are somehow friendly towards one another."

"All in good time," Kyoko said coolly. We must get to the feet of the Dragon Emperor, who guards the way into the Collective."

"Answer his question," Lucy retorted coldly, sensing something increasingly amiss with Kyoko the closer they came to the central shrine. "It's important."

"I know it is, milady," Kyoko answered. "Please be patient just a little longer. We're almost to the shrine where all your questions will be answered."

Tao moved up beside Lucy and whispered, "We should be careful, Lucy. Something is seriously wrong with this temple. I'm not sure we're seeing the entire truth here."

"I'm well aware of that," Lucy replied softly. "Kyoko is hiding something, and until we find out what that is, we won't be able to retrieve Yuka and Rayden. I've sensed it since we entered this building."

Moments later, Kyoko led everyone into the central shrine at the center of the temple. Kyoko stopped and gestured with a flourish of her hand. "Behold, the Dragon Emperor Ryu-Wo-Chin, guardian of the nexus of all realities, and our way into the Collective."

Lucy stopped dead in her tracks, as did her companions. Gawking in amazement, they saw a colossal Tibetan dragon sculpture made of pure gold with feathered wings made of a gold/platinum alloy that shined in the torchlight of the sanctuary, standing twenty meters in height, spanning fifty meters in length, all crafted in exquisite detail. Giant rubies the size of softballs laid socketed into the dragon's golden head, reflecting the same maroon color of diclonius eyes. In a circular chamber two hundred meters across and a hundred and fifty meters high, the iconic statue of the Dragon Emperor drew all attention to itself by its very presence. The gold of the statue shimmered in the torchlight that came from scores of torches around the perimeter of the chamber. Moreover, all around the perimeter of the vast chamber stood dozens of other dragon statues of every type made of every conceivable precious metal, including some metals no one recognized.

"Oh my god," Lucy breathed, taken by the magnificence of the sculpture that drew all attention to itself. "I've never seen such a beautiful statue in all my life, and so lifelike too. It looks like it could come to life at any moment. I hope it doesn't. I don't want to see such a creature in a living form."

"Me too," Kohta murmured. "This thing defies all reason. Look at the detail of the statue, Lucy. You can see individual dragon scales on it. I'd swear that it could get up and move at any moment. And the gold it took to make this statue is beyond my imagination…it's a treasure that any country would go to war to get. Whoever controls this dragon would be the unquestioned master of the planet just from an economic standpoint because of the amount of gold in it. Why did you show this to us, Kyoko?"

"Yes, Kyoko…why?" Tao agreed suspiciously. "Why show us the incalculable treasures of this sacred place? Is this some kind of test to see if we're worthy to learn the ultimate truth you bragged about outside?"

The rest of the group echoed Tao's sentiments. Lucy felt increasingly unsettled in her spirit, as if something didn't fit into this picture. She turned to Kyoko after taking in a 360° view of the inner sanctum of the shrine. Lucy's mouth sagged into a deep frown as she stared deep into Kyoko's eyes, finally understanding her unease with what she saw behind Kyoko's eyes. "Enough of this diversion," she hissed, snatching Kyoko by her kimono. "Who the fuck are you and where is the real Kyoko?" Lucy's actions surprised everyone present, including Kohta.

"Lucy, what are you doing?" Kohta asked in horror.

"This is not Kyoko," Lucy snarled. "This thing is just a zombie animated by the Fury, just like those you protected me from while I integrated my fractured mind."

"Impossible," Kohta retorted slowly as he latched onto Lucy's arm to break her hold on Kyoko. Yet, when he touched Lucy, he saw the truth through her eyes: a decaying corpse with burning black eyes behind the façade of Kyoko's face. He shook his head and blinked, seeing the same thing; totally flabbergasted at the disguise.

"What's wrong?" Tanya asked. "Why are you acting like that towards Kyoko?"

"Because it isn't Kyoko," Kohta hissed, becoming very agitated at the deception. "This is nothing but a zombie automaton being controlled by Calidor." Those watching the confrontation gasped, not understanding or seeing the truth Kohta and Lucy knew. All they could see was Lucy aggressively holding Kyoko up on her toes by her kimono while Kohta glared angrily at Kyoko.

Kyoko smiled wickedly at Lucy and Kohta. "Is this any way to treat Izanami's last living descendant," Kyoko asked. "…especially in this holy place?"

"You're no kin to Izanami," Lucy snapped. "I don't know how you were able to take the form of Izanami or of my mother, but you're not fooling me now. I see through your disguise, you rotting piece of shit. Now you will tell me where the real Kyoko is or else."

Kyoko laughed Lucy to scorn. "Or you'll do what?" she cackled madly. "Kill me? You cannot kill that which cannot die. You're just an insect defying a god. You cannot stop what the Elemental Earth showed you. It has sided with me; humanity must be purged for the good of the universe."

Lucy's eyes grew narrow as the veins bulged on her neck. Her face flushed as she grabbed the evil Kyoko with two vectors around the neck. "Don't fuck with me, monster! Where is the real Kyoko? I know she is here somewhere. I can feel her."

The evil Kyoko's face suddenly became a mirror of Dark Lucy as she looked at Lucy. "You should have stayed away from the island, bitch," evil Kyoko retorted in a voice Lucy recognized as Calidor's voice. "Now your fucking ass is mine!" Evil Kyoko started to release her vectors when she suddenly gasped. Her vectors vanished and her chest exploded from behind, showering dust into Lucy's face.

Lucy released the evil Kyoko, staggering back, trying to get the grit out of her eyes with her hands, coughing on the dust. As evil Kyoko fell to the floor, her disguise melted away, showing a desiccated woman thousands of years old, disintegrating into dust before everyone's eyes. "Who did that?" Lucy roared, as she cleared her eyes of the grit.

"Not me," Kohta declared, holding his hands out. Everyone else answered likewise, not claiming the kill of the doppelganger.

"Someone killed this thing," Lucy shouted angrily. "And I mean to find out who did it."

"I did, sister," a voice echoed from the dragon colossus. "I couldn't let that thing destroy you. You still have a job to do."

Everyone wheeled around, seeing a small girl of fifteen years sitting on top of the statue just in front of the wings. She had long maroon hair and eyes with two prominent diclonius horns showing on her head. As she jumped off the statue, everyone noticed the kimono she wore resembled the one evil Kyoko wore. Not sensing the girl to be a threat, Lucy stepped back a few steps, giving her place to land. "I hope I wasn't out of line," the girl added after landing. "I never thought the Chaos Lord would send one of his zombie doppelgangers in here."

Kohta stared at the girl, and then at Lucy, and then back. The resemblance the girl had to Lucy when she first met Kohta astounded him. The others gathered around as Kohta asked, "What's your name? Are you the real Kyoko?"

She bowed to Lucy and Kohta formally. "Yes, Master Kohta…I am the real Kyoko Nariko Seiyuchin. I had no idea Calidor's puppet had found you before I did. I've been hunting for that thing for weeks without success. I'm so sorry for not catching him before you arrived." She looked Lucy in the eye, seeing some distrust still evident. "Please, Miss Lucy, if you doubt me, use your vectors to check me out. I assure you that I am the real deal."

Lucy didn't hesitate in sending forth a vector to check out the girl's claim with much deeper scrutiny than she did when she initially met the doppelganger. When she confirmed the girl's identity, Lucy pulled her vector back. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you, Kyoko. But you can imagine why I felt the way I did."

"Of course, Miss Lucy," Kyoko declared. "I understand that better than you realize."

"Was everything the imposter said a lie?" Li Mei asked.

"Not everything," Kyoko said. "The Chaos Lord has ways of using truth to create chaos. The ultimate truth you were promised was the truth of your death. He meant to kill you before you could take the fight to him in the Collective."

"Looks like your insights were on the money, Tao," Lucy commended. "But what about the talk of the diclonius being a race of dragons, and what of about this place: does it truly house the history of humanity from the beginning?"

"I'm not the one to answer those questions," Kyoko said. "But my mother and father would be. Mom, Dad; please come out."

A diclonius pair in plain kimonos walked around the tail of the dragon colossus, approaching cautiously. Everyone tensed at the pair's approach, but Lucy held her hand up, saying, "Easy, guys…we don't know who we're dealing with here yet."

Kyoko rushed to the diclonius man and woman, grabbed them by the hand, and drew them boldly into Lucy's presence. "Miss Lucy, Master Kohta, these are my parents: Hishiro and Chizu Seiyuchin. They know much more about the question you asked than I."

Lucy looked at them closely with a suspicious eye. "Please, my Queen," Hishiro begged, bowing to Lucy. "Take your vectors and prove us. If we are not what we appear, by all means, tear us to pieces. The great Dragon Emperor would want it that way."

Lucy scanned both Hishiro and Chizu with her vectors, finding them pure diclonius with Chizu being of Izanami's lineage. A relieved smile crept across her lips as she retracted her vectors. "Thank you for allow me to check," Lucy said. "I had to be sure, especially after being fooled by that thing. I don't understand how we could have been fooled by such a fake. I thought for sure that was Izanami talking."

Chizu looked Lucy in the eye and loved her as a daughter. "Don't beat yourself up over it, milady. The Chaos Lord has many such devices he can call upon. The doppelganger is one of his most insidious and powerful tools. The doppelganger can take on any form it wishes, even that of Izanami. It takes great power to break through the doppelganger's screen, but you did."

"It wasn't my power that did that," Lucy declared. "The power of this place is somehow enhancing my diclonius power as Queen." She looked Chizu in the eye, seeing her reflection.

Chizu noticed it. "You wonder whether I am Izanami's incarnation and conduit, don't you, milady?"

"The thought did occur to me," Lucy admitted. "But after what just happened, I hesitate to believe it. That thing was so damned convincing. It made me wonder if Izanami hadn't actually used it, despite Calidor's power."

"It's possible, but I don't know for sure if Izanami hijacked the thing or not to speak to you," Hishiro said. "Chizu would know better than I about that. But you are right to be cautious. It has been your suspicious nature that has gotten you this far."

"But are you the real conduit?" Kohta asked.

Chizu walked over to Kohta and took him by the hand. She looked him in the eye and declared, "Remember the first time Izanami drew you into the Collective, how alone and lost you felt in the void, Master Kohta? You didn't know whether you were alive or dead. But she came to you and saved you from yourself, didn't she? You looked into her eyes, seeing a universe of life that you wanted to be part of; you remember, don't you?"

Kohta gasped, seeing the sparkling universe in Chizu's eyes, but not as powerful as the first time he looked into Izanami's eyes. "Oh lord," Kohta breathed, feeling a violent chill race down his spine. "I told no one that, not even Lucy. You really are Izanami. Thank you for being there for us."

"It was my pleasure," Chizu chimed, patting Kohta on the hand. "Izanami is so full of life I can't help but love it when she helps her children, such as she did a few minutes ago outside."

"Wait a minute," Charlene called out. "I'm still confused here. If you are the real guardian and conduit for Izanami here, then what about that fraud; did she tell us the truth about Yuka, Kohta, and everything, or was that just a lie too? Was that Izanami actually talking to us or not?"

"It was Izanami using that doppelganger," Chizu declared. "She took control of the beast when you told the imposter the identity of the chained dragons in the vision. She held control of the thing until you insisted upon paying your respects at the graves. But what she said about your cousin, Master Kohta, the Lilium, and concerning the vision about the Dragons of Heaven and Earth came directly from Izanami's lips; however, she could not keep control of the doppelganger. Even at this point, I wonder if the Chaos Lord allowed Izanami to do that in order to gain your confidence. When he thought he had your confidence, he pushed Izanami out of the thing, and set his trap with the talk of the ultimate truth of your existence. But he didn't anticipate your being able to see through the doppelganger's disguise, especially when you reached this inner sanctum. As you came in here, something caused you, Master Kohta, and the Tibetan royal Tao to notice something wasn't right and therefore you didn't take the bait." So when Calidor was about to spring his trap on you, our little huntress Kyoko finally found her prey and proved her skill by taking out the fiend at the proper moment, insuring your survival."

"But that still doesn't explain anything," Lucy declared. "You've merely explained what happened with the fucking monster. But it doesn't answer my questions. Everything that has happened since we reached this island has done nothing but hinder our access to the Collective. It's time to come clean about this." Lucy stabbed her index finger at the giant dragon statue a few steps away. "First off, who does this really represent? Are the diclonius really a race of dragons, as that thing said, and most importantly, how do we get into the Fury to retrieve Yuka and Rayden? Time is a luxury I do not have. The longer we wait, the more powerful Calidor becomes. We need to end this now!"

"And so you should," Chizu replied as Kyoko clung to her hand. "Everyone gather around and listen carefully. The tale of how Izanami found this island is too long to recite now. We simply do not have the time. But what you must understand is this: this is no ordinary island. This place is a dimensional gateway. The dragon colossus is as the doppelganger suggested. It represents the Dragon Emperor Ryu-Wo-Chin, Emperor of the Dragons of Heaven and Earth, guardian of the nexus of all realities and gatekeeper to the Collective. The Collective is just one dimension that shares the same space with our earth; however, unlike the other dimensions here at the nexus, the Collective is an artificial dimension created for the specific purpose of containing the war between the Chaos Lord Calidor and our matriarch, Izanami. When Calidor possessed Rayden and she was forced to kill him, she contained them within the first realm of the Collective: her own mind. In time she found this island, the nexus, and the machinery left behind by the Ancients. By studying what the Ancients left behind, she was able to create what you know as the Collective using the machinery of this place. But in constructing it, she had to sacrifice herself to it in order to seal in the Chaos Lord. What you saw in the courtyard outside has a mirror image in the Collective she created. That is why you recognized it, Miss Lucy. You have seen it within the Collective."

"That's all good to know," Kohta stated. "But what about this business about the diclonius being a race of dragons and Yuka being an angel because she has a piece of Izanami's DNA?"

"History is not as you imagine it," Hishiro stated. "The vastness of time has a tendency to turn truth into myths and fairy tales. We stand here, looking at this magnificent representation of the Dragon Emperor and say that there is no way dragons could have ever existed. They are mythological creations meant to explain the primal forces of nature. Is this not what you told your colleagues as you approached this place, Miss Charlene of America?"

Charlene's face flushed at the accusation. Tucking her head, Charlene admitted, "Yes, that's what I told them. All I told them is what I knew to be true from my experience."

"And so you told them the truth, as you knew it," Chizu stated. "It's perfectly all right. You didn't know about the lost history of this planet…the history of our race and of the great Dragons of Heaven and Earth."

"Are we a race of dragons?" Lucy asked bluntly. "No more dodging the question."

"In name only are we dragons," Hishiro stated. "What you must understand is that the diclonius race has been around much longer than even Izanami realized. Whenever the forces from the Dark Dimensions threaten the universe, the Earth brings forth from its own life protectors and guardians to counter the agents of the Dark Dimensions. The first thing you must understand is that we are not alone in this universe. There are countless worlds and dimensions of existence in this universe, each with life forms of their own. The Dark Dimensions, especially the ones where the Chaos Lord Calidor comes from, is in constant conflict with those who dwell in the Light. The creatures and beings of these Dark and Light dimensions are not supposed to cross the dimensional boundary. But sometimes they do, and in doing so, they create an imbalance in the universe that must be rectified by them ultimately returning to their own dimension. When this happens, the Spirit of the Earth brings forth a group of guardian protectors, at Heaven's order, to restore the balance and police the dimensional boundaries between us, and that of the chaos dimensions. Over the eons, these guardians have taken on many forms. To see which forms they have taken, all you need to do is look around, especially in the Guardian's Way, where you entered this sacred place.

"Dragons have been one of the primary guardian forms called up by the Earth over the ages. Long ago, dragons in the form that you see here once lived among the human population, protecting them from the scourge of the Dark Dimensions. But like all living beings, they were susceptible to being corrupted by the Chaos Lords. Thus came the times of the Dragon Wars. A group of dragons became corrupted with Chaos, and wreaked havoc on not just the human populations, but on the Earth itself. The remaining dragons guardians stayed pure and fought against the dark corrupt dragons and the Chaos Lords they had unleashed. The Dragon Wars became apocalyptic in its scope, drawing in not just the human race, but also the angels, the elementals, and even the demoniac legions that are in constant conflict with the angels. The demons saw the Chaos Lords as intruding into their territory, so the demons sided with the angels, humans, elementals, and good dragons to drive the Chaos Lords back into their own dimension."

"But what does this have to do with the diclonius being a race of dragons?" Elle asked, captivated by the tale.

"I'm getting to that," Hishiro said. "In the darkest part of the Dragons Wars when it appeared the Chaos Lords were going to win and spread their poison over the whole universe, the powers of Light and Darkness came to a consensus with regards to how to stop the Chaos. It was called the Eternal Council. Call these powers of Light and Darkness what you like: gods, immortals, angels, demons, elementals, whatever; but they came to a decision after the Earth begged them to end the war and save it from total destruction. In response to this apocalypse, the powers fighting for life allowed the Earth to bring forth a new form of protector from the great genetic power of the human race: the Diclonius. When the new diclonius protectors appeared, they immediately worked with the good Dragons of Heaven and Earth to drive back the Chaos and those infected by its poison into the Dark Dimensions. They became riders, kindred spirits, and soul mates of the good dragons, giving the powers of light the edge they needed to drive back the darkness. In the final battle of the Dragon Wars, which apparently took place on this very island, the powers of Light pushed the chaos legions back into their own domain through the nexus of all realities and sealed it for all eternity. In the process, the Dragon Emperor lost his diclonius partner and close friend…a powerful and good man by the name of Nariko. When the dust settled after the battle, only a handful of the dragon guardians remained with their diclonius partners. Because of the devastation of the battle, which had utterly decimated the civilization of that time, humanity became fearful of the dragons, the diclonius, the elementals, even the angels and demons. They demanded that the beings from the other worlds and dimensions go home and not return. The dragons, their diclonius partners, and the elementals, since they were of this world, went into hiding, providing guidance for the humans who wished to listen to their wisdom. But most of the humans rejected them, seeing them as monsters to be dismissed, even killed. They treated the elementals and the diclonius just as injudiciously.

"Over time, those diclonius who rose during the Dragon Wars died off. However, before the last of the diclonius guardians died off, a handful of the dragons, elementals, angels, diclonius, and humans of great wisdom consulted with the Earth, demanding that it bring forth the diclonius race again if the Chaos Lords were ever to escape their prison again. And as we know, that happened almost 2,000 years ago. With the birth of Izanami and Rayden, the diclonius race reemerged once again to defend the world. But the Chaos Lords were waiting this time and snared Rayden right away, creating the conditions that we now face. Are we a race of dragons? No, we are a race of guardians who worked closely with the Dragons of Heaven and Earth. And because our distant ancestors were dragon riders closely associated with the dragons, we became know to the humans collectively as the Dragons of Heaven and Earth because of our friendship with the dragons. Is that a good enough explanation?"

"So why did the fake called Tao and Li Mei dragons of heaven?" Tanya asked.

"Because Calidor recognized their connection to the original diclonius race," Chizu replied. "Just because the old diclonius dragon riders died off, it doesn't mean that their genetic material perished. They lived and loved just as we do and had offspring, passing on their DNA like all life forms. Much of humanity has fragments of the dragon rider's DNA floating around in their genetic matrix. It remained untouched and inactive, without them even knowing that their distant ancestors were great guardians of the universe. Only when the Chaos Lords became a threat again did the Earth reactivate that code. As long as that code remains dormant, humans don't evolve into diclonius."

"Then what you are saying is that there is an intelligence operating behind the scenes that determines who becomes a diclonius and who doesn't," Tao stated. "And this intelligence merely flips that genetic switch to allow a regular person to become a diclonius."

"Exactly," Chizu stated. "I don't say that I completely understand this myself. But from my life on this island being Izanami's conduit, I came to understand what our common root is. Humanity, as it is today, has all it needs to evolve and survive. You can say the gods, God, Fate, or Destiny decides who becomes a diclonius and who doesn't. But at this time, it really a moot point. The diclonius sprang from regular human DNA and that is a proven fact. What we need to do now is show these outsiders that humanity, both regular humans and diclonius, doesn't need or want them interfering with our lives any longer. Humanity is on the verge of becoming a mature species in the universe and taking our place among them. By stopping Calidor and sending him back into the abyss, we can show the gods, Fate, Destiny; all those interfering shits that humans are here to stay."

"That's a mighty fine speech," Lucy replied coolly. "But I don't give a rat's ass about these other guys who you say controls which human becomes a diclonius. All I care about is what's right in front of me right this moment. Yuka and Rayden are being held prisoner by Calidor. The Collective is collapsing around our ears, and the world has gone stark-raving mad because of Calidor partially breeching the Collective. Don't you think it's time to stop the history lesson and get down to business? Calidor crossed the line and I mean to put his fucking ass back where he belongs. Now how do we get into the Collective?"

"She has a point, Chizu," Hishiro said. "The clock is ticking."

"I know," Chizu replied. "I just wanted to be sure Miss Lucy understood the background of what is going on here. Do you, Miss Lucy?"

"Yes," Lucy returned coldly. "This shit has been coming down for a very long time and now is the time for us to make a stand. How do I get into the Collective?"

"Ask the guardian of this place," Chizu replied cryptically. "Only the Dragon Emperor can show you the way in."

"You must be kidding," Lucy balked.

"Hold on a minute, Lucy," Kohta said. "Maybe we should. There's a power here beyond Izanami and the Collective that allowed us to see Calidor's puppet. You as much admitted it."

"How do we ask?" Elle queried. "Is there some ritual we need to go through before we ask?"

"No," Kyoko chimed. "Just stand in front of him and politely ask what you will of him. I do all the time and every time, he answers."

"Sounds a bit childish," Lucy returned coolly.

"But that is the genius of it," Hishiro stated. "Only a simple, childlike faith can get the Dragon Emperor to respond. If you have trouble doing it, let the personality fragment you call Nyu do it for you."

"How did you know about Nyu?" Lucy snapped.

"He knows because I knew," Chizu stated. "And I knew because of Izanami. Hishiro means no disrespect. He was merely trying to provide you with alternatives."

"She's right," Kohta said. "How could Chizu not know about Nyu, or even Kaeda and your dark half being the vessel for Izanami. I think we should take their advice. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Let Nyu ask the Dragon Emperor how we get into the Collective. Please, Lucy."

Lucy's head sagged slightly as she sighed. "Okay, Kohta…I'll do it for you and your cousin," she replied softly. "Where do I stand to speak to this dragon, or whatever it is?"

"Stand in front of him like this," Kyoko answered, showing Lucy where to stand. "And then ask my question with the belief that he will answer. But you should be aware that he will not answer a question you already know the answer to, so be sure that you're sincere in your question." She stepped aside and guided Lucy to the exact spot, adding, "As long as you are honest with your question, he will answer."

Lucy cast a sour look at Kyoko, not like being lectured by a child, but she accepted the instruction. When Kyoko stepped away from Lucy, a violent chill raced down Lucy's spine as she looked up into the dragon's face. Casting a worried look at Kohta, he stepped up beside Lucy, taking her by the arm. "We will ask the question together," he murmured. "You don't have to do this alone." He turned to Chizu, asking, "Is there anything that says we both can't speak to the Dragon Emperor at the same time?"

"No, Master Kohta," Chizu stated, "…as long as you are pure of heart and mind, he will answer you both."

"What do we call him?" Lucy asked.

"Call him by his name, Ryu-Wo-Chin," Hishiro stated.

"Are you ready for this?" Kohta asked Lucy.

"No," she admitted, "But we don't have any time left. We must find the way into the Collective." Lucy's courage solidified with Kohta at her side. Her face turned stoic and she called out, "Ryu-Wo-Chin, Emperor of the Dragons of Heaven and Earth, please show me and Kohta how to enter the Collective and rescue our friends from the hands of the butcher Calidor. Please, help us and show us the way in before the Collective collapses completely and Calidor can poison the world with his evil." Her tone turned from stoic to a sincere pleading, almost desperate in its tone. "Yuka is my friend; I owe her my life, and Rayden is our great father. Please, help us rescue them and bring life to this dying world." Tears began to spill down Lucy's cheeks as she let her guard down, allowing Nyu to emerge.

"Please, help Nyu's friends live," Nyu cried. "Tell Lucy how to find Yuka and bring her back. Nyu love Yuka, and everyone. Nyu want everyone to live. Please, dragon friend, show us how to get them back." Nyu retreated, letting Lucy regain control. Lucy's tears dripped on the floor at her feet.

A tomblike silence abruptly encompassed the shrine, making everyone feel uncomfortable. The flickering light from the torches cast shadows on the great statue. "Please, great Emperor of all Dragons," Kohta murmured, tears gushing from his eyes as he suddenly felt an acute sense of loss and pain. "Please show us how to get into the Collective and rescue my cousin and Lord Rayden from the Chaos Lord. Yuka is my family. She's my Gemini. I must save her, even at my own peril. Please…help us."

As the echo from Kohta's voice faded away, a gust of wind arose from out of nowhere, making the torches flicker violently. Lucy felt an icy terror take her soul, causing her to cling tightly to Kohta. A deep, penetrating rumble rattled the temple, creating great concern in everyone present. The ruby eyes of the Dragon Emperor flashed, making them look like living eyes. Seconds later, the head of the statue moved, turning to Lucy and Kohta. They staggered back, dropping to their knees in astonished terror. A deep, reptilian voice rose from the statue, filling the temple with its pronunciations. "Fear not," the Dragon Emperor statue rumbled. "I am aware of your plight and stand ready to assist. You, Kaeda Lucy Saros, have accepted your place as the Queen of your race, and Gatekeeper to the Collective. But you have just one last challenge to face before I can show you the way to your adversary. You have faced every piece of your past, except one. Face it and show the Eternal Council that you are truly worthy of being the diclonius Queen of the Dragons of Heaven and Earth, and Keeper of your kind's destiny."

Lucy's stomach suddenly lurched with fear and doubt. She pulled Kohta even closer. "What kind of challenge, your majesty?" Kohta asked for Lucy.

"This is a challenge that she must face alone, Master Kohta…Archangel Dragon King of the Diclonius," the Dragon Emperor statue replied. "She has one last demon of her past to conquer in order for her to unleash her full potential. Lo, the demon is here awaiting an audience with her. Show us where your heart truly lies, Kaeda Lucy Saros." The statue roared, abruptly shining with a white blinding radiance. Everyone except Lucy and Kohta quickly backed away, fearful as to what would happen next. Lucy and Kohta hid their eyes from the blinding flash, shaking in abject terror at the blazing light engulfing them.

"What's going on, mother?" Kyoko asked Chizu as they hastily retreated from the dragon's sunburst. "Ryu-Wo-Chin has never acted like this before."

"I don't know," Chizu replied. "But one thing I do know is that we're witnesses to history here. The events that transpire in the next few minutes will determine the fate of all life on this planet."

The light subsided and the voice of the Dragon Emperor again spoke. "Rise, Kaeda Lucy Saros, and see the truth of all things, particularly of your demons. Choose your path carefully, for one misstep can send you back into the darkness that seeks to consume you."

Hishiro, Chizu, Kyoko, Charlene, Tao, Li Mei, Tanya, Elle, and Saito stared in disbelief, fear racing through their hearts as they witnessed a myth become living truth. Lucy and Kohta looked up and saw, same as their companions, not a golden dragon statue, but a living, breathing Tibetan dragon with gold dragon scale, platinum wings, and two long golden whiskers dangling from the beast's head crowned with ivory horns white as snow. Lucy's resolve faltered, seeing a real dragon standing before her. Her mouth fell open in utter shock. Fear caused her to use Kohta as a shield; something he did not refuse her. Despite his utter terror at seeing a living dragon, Kohta's love for Lucy kept him in front, protecting her.

When the Dragon Emperor saw this, he said, "Do not fear, Master Kohta. I can see your terror, as I see it in your Queen, and your friends there; however, your love for her has magnificently overridden your fear of me. Even now, you seek to protect her with your life. It is a commendable act, one showing that Kaeda Lucy chose truly with her heart. Your presence here with her at this moment in time and space has been foretold since the end of the Dragon Wars. Your love for this girl has saved not just her, but her race and yours from extinction. You've shown her the ways of light, love, and life; and she has accepted it despite the poisons of the Chaos Lord. But now she has one last choice to make and one last demon to conquer before you and her can face the Chaos Lord sealed inside the crumbling Collective. Now Kaeda Lucy, see the last obstacle in your path and choose your fate carefully. And you there who are linked to Kaeda Lucy and Master Kohta, witness the final trial of your Queen. Watch and pray for her salvation."

The Dragon Emperor stepped aside, moving to the right so everyone could see the area behind where the Dragon Emperor had stood. An old man in a tattered suit appeared from the darkness, limping forward on a cane. "That's right, Oshida Saros," the Dragon Emperor ordered sternly. "The time has come for your judgment. Come forward and await the justice of the one you so brutally abandoned as a child, casting her into a deep ravine because you blamed her for your wife's death. Come and look into your child's eyes and await her judgment of you."

Oshida Saros moved forward slowly, his eyes cast to the floor with a contrite look on his weary old face. Kohta stared in wonder and puzzlement at the gray-haired old man. He could see shadows of Lucy in his face. When Lucy saw the old man, her fears of the Dragon Emperor vanished in an instant, replaced with righteous indignation verging on wrath. She stepped around Kohta and stared Oshida down with a fierce glare.

Oshida stopped three meters away and sank to his knees. When he looked up at Lucy, seeing her angry stare, a troubled sigh escaped his lips. "You know who I am, don't you?" he muttered in a cracked, troubled tone.

Lucy lashed out with two vectors, snatching the old man around the midsection, pinning his arms at his side, and bringing him nose to nose with her. "Lucy, you mustn't…" Kohta pleaded.

"Silence, Master Kohta," the Dragon Emperor roared. "Kaeda Lucy must decide for herself about this demon of her past. You cannot interfere."

"Forgive me, your majesty," Kohta replied, realizing the importance of what faced Lucy, and even more importantly, that he didn't want to antagonize a living breathing dragon.

Lucy hung the old man in front of her with her vectors, his feet dangling in the air. She looked deeply into his eyes, recognizing the eyes of her hated father. "Yes, I remember who you are now…dad," she growled with disgust. "I remember you tossing me off that cliff. For that, I should rip you apart."

Oshida nodded in agreement, not struggling at all against her vectors. "And you would be right to do so. I committed a heinous evil against you by doing that…one that is unforgiveable. But now the wheel has turned against me and I have reaped the whirlwind for what I did that terrible day. Please, Kaeda, right the wrong I did to you by killing me. Send me to be with your blessed mother."

"Oh, so you want me to kill you so you don't have to be haunted by that guilty conscious anymore," Lucy snapped viciously. "And why should I do that? Give me one good reason why I should end your worthless existence. It's all because of you that I'm at the center of this firestorm. Tell me, why should I kill you to make up for your abandoning me?"

"Because my life has been a living hell ever since I abandoned you," Oshida admitted. "I lost everything: my money, my job, my house, my family, even my sanity. I spent the last ten years in a mental asylum because I could not deal with the loss of Kaeda or what I did to you."

Kohta felt an icy chill race down his spine, knowing all too well how the loss of family members could drive someone over the edge.

Lucy remained unconvinced. Her hate for him bubbled like a pot of tar. "You still haven't answered my question. Why should I kill you as you ask? Are you suicidal now?"

"Yes," Oshida replied softly. "Life has been nothing but one disaster after another for me since that fateful day. You have no idea what it's like to be totally alone and cast away because of what you've done. When my family found out that I abandoned you, they cut me off completely. They even suggested that I was responsible for Kaeda's death, going as far as to having an official investigation of Kaeda's death done. Even though the investigation cleared me of my wife's death, the stigma and dishonor of what I did cost me everything."

Lucy pulled him close, nose to nose. Her eyes narrowed as she retorted, "On the contrary, I know all too well what it's like to be totally alone and cast away. I spent years homeless and on my own because of what I was forced to do to survive, including killing anyone who crossed me. All you had to do was love me and things would have been much different. But you didn't. You despised me to the point you threw me away like a piece of trash. Now that piece of trash sits in judgment of you."

"You're right, Kaeda," Oshida returned. "I have no excuse for doing what I did to you. I was devastated by the loss of your mother and blamed you because of your appearance. I was so irrational and pig-headed, not able to see how special you really were."

"I am not Kaeda," Lucy roared, slugging him in the jaw with her clenched fist. "I am Lucy, Queen of every diclonius on the planet. You will address me not as what you threw away, but as what I am now."

Blood run from the corner of Oshida's mouth from the hit he didn't try to dodge or block. "You are so right, Lucy," he murmured in a defeated tone. "I stand corrected. You are no longer the deformed infant I cast away, but a vengeful goddess wanting justice for a terrible wrong inflicted on you, one that was unforgivable. I was merely trying to explain why I did what I did."

"You sound like you're trying to rationalize an act that has no rational reasoning behind it," Lucy growled. "I was different…a little monster you called me as you threw me into that ravine. Not once did you ever see me as anything but a freakish animal. Even now, you don't see me as your daughter, but, what did you say… "a vengeful goddess wanting justice?" You still don't see me as anything but a freak, who now has the power to kill your sorry ass. If you're so sorry for what you did, answer me this…dad: Why the fuck did you throw me into that ravine instead of giving me up for adoption? Why did you try to kill me when I was just a baby?"

Oshida's eyes wavered and tears rose, dripping down his cheeks. Lucy's words cut him to the quick, exposing his deepest sins. He shook his head solemnly. "For the life of me, I do not know," he wept. "I've been asking myself that question for the last ten years and I just cannot find an answer. I know it was wrong, a heinous sin against you that is unforgiveable, but why I did it, I don't know. Maybe I was insane with grief over your mother dying, or maybe I was just insane period. All I know is that almost five months ago when I was released from the mental institution, something told me I had to find you and make amends for my despicable behavior. I don't expect any sympathy or mercy from you for what I did. I'm ready to pay for my sins with my blood if necessary. So please, release me from my hell. Cut me loose as I did to you. It's the only way Fate can be satisfied for such a heinous crime against my own blood."

A flash of anger flushed Lucy's face when she heard him invoke Fate. She set him down roughly, retracting her vectors. He remained on his knees, looking down at the floor, tears flooding his cheeks. "You should not invoke Fate to influence me," Lucy hissed. "Fate is as much to blame for this as you are, you shit-faced fuck. But Fate is not the master of my Destiny. What did you come here expecting to see; a vicious daughter who would kill you the moment she saw you? What do you want from me?"

"I want nothing but forgiveness," Oshida said. "Such has been my goal since I left the mental institution: to find forgiveness for my sins against you and all the other people whom I've hurt. I came here with no preconceived notions that you would forgive me. I considered what I did to you unforgiveable. All I wish is to die knowing that at least I tried to make amends for what I did to you, Lucy."

Lucy's irrational hatred of Oshida melted away with his words, which were spoken with great sincerity and not the least bit of malice. She began to regret having been so short with him. Yet she remained cautious. Too many times Lucy had seen people say one thing and do another in order to get an upper hand over her. "A noble sentiment coming from the likes of you," Lucy retorted. "But I am seldom convinced by words alone. It comes from the harsh life you sentenced me to by abandoning me; however, I do have ways of trying those words. You want me to forgive you. Let me see just how much you believe that." Without blinking an eye, Lucy sent five vectors into her father's mind and brain, proving his words. When she saw the pain and heartache he had endured because of his sin against her, Lucy's attitude softened toward him. Pulling her vectors back, she said, "You have spoken truthfully to me, dad; something I never believed you would ever do. You said you wanted forgiveness, right?"

Oshida looked at her, violently trembling because he finally realized how close his description of his daughter had been, and what she had become: a powerful being that had the capability to read minds and kill with a thought, but someone who wasn't inherently evil. "Yes, Lucy, forgiveness and to make amends with you is the only reason I had to come here, even though I don't even remember how I ended up here."

Lucy suddenly looked at the Dragon Emperor. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?"

"I did," the Dragon Emperor admitted. "It was his destiny to meet you here in this place at this time so he could see you in your full glory, and to make amends for his sin against you. I snatched him from the alleyway he called home five months ago in Tokyo, bringing him here to await your arrival. So, Kaeda Lucy Saros, what is your verdict: does he deserve your mercy and forgiveness and live, or does he die with your hate?"

Lucy turned back to Oshida, seeing a pathetic old man who had seen almost as much pain and heartache as she had. "When I first remembered what he did to me, I swore vengeance and to kill him if I ever encountered him. But many things have changed since I remembered that terrible day. Kohta showed me a better way to live than to live with blood and death, consumed with hate for all life. As I look on my father now, knowing what I know now, I cannot in good conscious kill him. Kohta also showed me the power of second chances and forgiveness. It's the most important lesson he ever taught me." Lucy looked directly at Oshida. "Dad, Kohta showed me that everyone deserves forgiveness and a second chance. Kohta forgave me for killing his family in front of him when he didn't have to. Therefore, in that light, I forgive you dad. You don't have to feel guilty for what you did any longer. But I'm not sure I can ever trust you because of what you did. What you need to do, Dad, is to leave my family and me alone. I don't want to see your face again. What you did was so hurtful to me that seeing your face is like rubbing salt into an open wound. Leave this place with my blessing and forgiveness. Go and make a new life without me, knowing that we are square. If, in the course of time, I find myself more conducive to interacting with you again, I will come to you. But under no circumstances are you to approach me or my family before then. Am I being perfectly clear about this?"

Oshida broke down and sobbed. "Yes, Lucy, I understand perfectly. My daughter has given me back my life. I pray that I never hurt you or anyone like that ever again. And you have my word that I will stay away. I now know what you are capable of as the queen of these people. For the first time in my life, I am not sorry that you're my daughter. In fact, I'm very proud that you are my daughter. Can I ask one last thing of you? Just consider it the last request of a tired old man."

"What is it?" Lucy asked coolly.

"I wish to give my daughter one last hug before we go our separate ways," Oshida politely requested. "I don't want my last memory of this meeting to be your passing judgment on me. I want to remember you as flesh and blood, not the goddess that you have become."

Lucy looked to Kohta, who nodded. Yet she frowned at the idea of embracing her father. "Not a chance," Lucy growled. "I only hug people I trust and you have a very long way to go before I do that."

"I understand, Lucy," Oshida replied, "…and I don't blame you. Then can I at least shake your hand as a pledge of my loyalty to you?"

"You should at least shake his hand, Lucy," Kohta urged. "I know it's distasteful to you to even touch him, but it'll show him that you haven't completely abandoned him the way he did to you."

"Careful, Kohta," Lucy replied cautiously. "You don't know what it's like to have to face a father who not only abandoned you, but tried to kill you too."

"I know," Kohta answered. "All I'm suggesting is that you show everyone that you're better than him by not refusing to touch him."

"Very well," Lucy stated. "I can see your point. A handshake it is." She reached out with a vector and lifted Oshida gently to his feet. Stretching out her hand, she looked him in the eye and warned, "I'm going to consider this handshake your bond. Break it at your own peril."

Oshida grasped Lucy's hand and shook it firmly, looking her in the eye. "You have my word, Lucy, never to bother you or your family again. I must be content with your forgiveness. Thank you."

Lucy released Oshida's hand and stepped away from him. "Okay, Dad," Lucy stated coolly. "But remember my words. You have this one chance. Make the best of it and don't fuck it up. Next time, I may not be able to allow mercy to rule."

"I won't, "Oshida said with a weary smile on his face. "I now feel life is worth living again. Thank you for giving me this chance. You will not regret your decision. I just hope there's a world left for me to go back to. I hear the gravest things about what's happening. Is it true that Japan has been burned to ashes?"

"I'm afraid so," Lucy stated grimly. "All because of the poison this Calidor has infected my kind with since the beginning. That's why we're here…to put a stop to this insanity. Now you need to stay out of the way or you'll die. This is a job only I can do. I am Queen of all the Diclonius. I destroy this Calidor and put his fucking ass back where he belongs and the world lives another day. Otherwise we are totally fucked."

"You have my prayers," Oshida returned sincerely. "Maybe at some point I may be of use to you in your fight against this Calidor. Who is this Calidor anyway?"

"Calidor is a Chaos Lord from the Dark Dimensions," the Dragon Emperor declared. "He has poisoned the diclonius for the last 1700 years. Now with the rise of the true Queen and her King, the Chaos fiend can be destroyed."

Lucy cast her gaze to the Dragon Emperor and demanded, "So, great Dragon Emperor, did I make the right decision by letting my father live after what he did to me? Does this gain me access to the Collective?"

The Dragon Emperor smiles broadly. "I don't need to answer that question, Kaeda Lucy. You already know the answer to it. Your decision showed that you have not been poisoned totally by the evil of Calidor. The Collective is yours to access and enter at any time you wish."

"So how do I do it?" Lucy asked bluntly. "We are running out of time."

"That we are, great Queen of all Dragons," the Dragon Emperor replied. Turning to Oshida, the Dragon Emperor ordered, "Oshida Saros, step back from the Queen and join her human friends there at the entrance to this shrine for your own safety. It is time for me to reveal the Nexus to the Queen."

"Yes, your majesty," Oshida said with a bow. He quickly retreated to stand with Elle and Saito.

The Dragon Emperor turned his gaze to Lucy and Kohta. "Queen Kaeda Lucy, Master Kohta, you are about to embark on a battle royal for the soul of the planet and universe. In order for you to reach your adversary, you must see and understand the Nexus. Behold…the Nexus of all Realities!" The Dragon Emperor roared so loud that everyone held his or her ears. The shrine shook so hard that no one could stand. Then the shrine began to shimmer, every brick and stone of gold flickering like a mirage. The structure of the shrine seemed to dissolve slowly, vanishing in places revealing a surreal background of outer space. Only the platform remained solid and intact. Elle clung to Saito, with Oshida holding on to Saito's arm in petrified terror. Tao and Li Mei huddled around Elle, Saito, and Oshida with Tanya, Charlene, Hishiro, Chizu, and Kyoko gathered close, fearful of becoming lost in a vanishing shrine. Lucy and Kohta stared in stupefied astonishment and fear as the shrine vanished around them. Without warning, the Dragon Emperor's body flashed again like a solar flare, blinding everyone. When his roar ended, the light subsided and the temporary blindness from the flash vanished with the light.

When the blindness vanished, Lucy, Kohta, and the rest of her friends and her father could not believe their eyes. With the exception of the floor they stood on, the rest of the Shrine was gone, replaced with a stunning star cloud filled with stars, planets, and galaxies surrounding them with an infinite number of individual gateways hanging in the ethereal void stretching off into infinity. The gates ranged in every size, from the size of a pea to the size of an aircraft carrier. Even some of the gates far off in the distance appeared to be planet-sized. The gates were of every known shape, and even some shapes not known to Lucy and her friends. Numerous gates lined the edges of the platform and reached up over their heads in a dome fashion. Moreover, each gate seemed to shimmer and be translucent, allowing everyone to see light and images of gates farther away. Lucy stared numbly at the scene around her, and felt very insignificant. Chills raced down her spine as something about the Nexus stirred her feelings deep down.

Kohta turned around, getting a 360° panorama of the Nexus. The light from the star clouds shined in his eyes as a smile crossed his lips. A violent, icy chill raced down his spine as he recognized Izanami's eyes in what he saw before him. A feeling of being a grain of sand on a beach filled him. Yet the majesty and beauty of what he saw filled him with utter wonder. "Oh my god," he whispered. "This is it! This is what I saw in Izanami's eyes. I know it!"

The remainder of Lucy's group huddled near the edge of the platform where the entrance had once been, looked around at the Nexus in abject terror, not comprehending the vastness of what they saw. Yet they remained strangely riveted by the alien nature of the place with the Dragon Emperor standing there like a sentinel guarding the way to every dimension in existence. "Welcome to the Nexus of All Realities," the Dragon Emperor stated formally to his audience.

A/N: Welcome to the Shrine of the Dragon Emperor; here Lucy discovers a series of horrible truths that test her mettle to the breaking point: from doppelgangers to the lost history of the planet complete with dragons, the true nature of a multidimensional universe, and even the biggest demon of her past coming back to haunt her…her father. The truths revealed in the Shrine of the Dragon Emperor shakes Lucy and Kohta's perceptions of reality to the core. Lucy struggles to deal with concepts and obstacles that defy her rational mind. Yet she does prevail, even with the demon of her abusive, abandoning father. With each truth, Lucy arms herself for the final fight with Calidor in the Collective, to be accessed from the Nexus of all Realities. When she and Kohta enter the Collective, armed with all the truths and power of the diclonius, will they prevail, rescue Yuka and Rayden, and finally send Calidor back into his own dimension for all eternity? Will she be able to save the planet and stop the inexorable march to death, and finally sing the Requiem in its proper manner to honor the fallen? Keep reading to find out. As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	35. Chapter 35 The Nexus of all Realities

Chapter 35

The Nexus of all Realities

Lucy and Kohta stared in complete awe at the Nexus of all Realities spread out around them, their senses numbed by the grandeur of the center of the universe. The platform they stood on with their friends and the Dragon Emperor seemed like an island of gold floating in an ethereal sea with the Dragon Emperor standing there as the guardian god of the place. Glittering star clouds of unspeakable beauty surrounded them with the gateways to other dimensions floating like corks in a three-dimensional sea. The individual gates became Christmas lights flickering in the ethereal sea beyond the platform. Fear raced through Lucy and Kohta in waves, along with a sense of being utterly insignificant in the grand scheme of the cosmos. Lucy's friends and her father cowered just near the edge of the platform, fearful of being lost into the void that surrounded them. "Welcome to the Nexus of All Realities, my Queen," the Dragon Emperor rumbled formally. "Here is where we access the Collective, along with every other dimension in existence, including the Dark Dimensions."

Lucy stared at the marvels around her in fearful wonder. "Is this the true nature of the universe?" she asked softly.

"Yes," the Dragon Emperor declared. "Every dimension and timeline of the earth along with every other world in the universe meets in this place. You must be very careful here because it is extremely easy to get lost in the other dimensions."

"I can see why," Lucy muttered. "I fear this place more than any place I've ever been before, even the Collective. This place is dangerously unreal, even perilous."

"And so you should," the Dragon Emperor replied. "To not respect this sacred space is to invite disaster. But fear not," the Dragon Emperor chimed. "You are safe with me in this place."

"Where is the Collective?" Kohta asked bluntly.

"I will point out the gateway to the Collective in a moment, Master Kohta," the Dragon Emperor answered evenly. "But there is something you should see first." He pointed to a darkened area off to the left beyond the platform, with a gateway of pure black chained with glowing chains. "See that dark gate there? That gate is the primary gate to the Dark Dimension the Chaos Lord Calidor came from. That is where he must return. If he breaks the chain on that gate, he will unleash a horde of evil that will consume the entire universe."

"And how do we do that?" Kohta asked.

"Simple…you destroy him before he can escape the Collective," the Dragon Emperor declared. "Once his form is destroyed outside his home dimension, the Dark Dimension will reclaim his soul. He cannot survive without a form outside his home dimension."

Lucy cast a grim look at the black gate, which seemed to swallow all light approaching it as if it were a black hole. As she looked into the abyss of the Dark Dimensions, her anger rose. "Finally, I know who to blame for this shit and how to get rid of him," she hissed. "If that's where he needs to go, then that's where the sorry fuck will go. Now answer Kohta's question. Where is the Collective, Ryu-Wo-Chin?"

"Right in front of you, my Queen," the Dragon Emperor answered. "Go to the center of the platform and you will see what I mean."

"But there isn't anything there," Kohta retorted.

"You forget that this is the Nexus of all Realities, Master Kohta," the Dragon Emperor chided. "Here, anything and everything is possible. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it isn't there. Besides, that's the way Lady Izanami designed the Collective. It's only visible to the true Queen."

"Do you see it, Lucy?" Kohta asked as Lucy looked toward the center of the platform.

Her mouth fell open in astonishment. "Holy shit," she cursed. "I can see it. It's just like the wall of the Collective we saw in the dreams, except that it's much smaller here."

"Size matters not, my Queen," the Dragon Emperor stated. "The Collective is every bit as vast as you remember it. What you see here is merely a gateway into it, not the entirety of the Collective."

"I still don't see it," Kohta retorted.

Lucy put her left arm around Kohta and pointed with her right. "Look closely, Kohta. It's there; a shimmering dome ten paces across."

The scales fell from Kohta's eyes the moment she touched him. He gasped in astonishment as an icy chill raced down his spine. "I don't believe it. I can see it now."

"You can make it visible by touching it, milady," the Dragon Emperor instructed. "Touch it so everyone can see it."

Lucy nodded and walked with Kohta to the edge of the Collective. From the vantage point of everyone else, Lucy appeared to reach out into thin air. Her hand pressed on something solid, yet invisible to her companions. Her eyes flashed as she clenched her free fist, feeling the power of the Collective suddenly rush through her. The dome she mentioned to Kohta flickered, and then became visible to everyone.

"By the gods!" Tao breathed. "It truly exists! The Collective is real."

Lucy looked into the shimmering dome, seeing shining cracks all through its membrane. The dark and light clouds roiled and battled for supremacy just as she had seen before. She suddenly picked her hand up and turned to the Dragon Emperor. "Okay, dragon…you're not telling me something important here. What is it and don't dawdle. How do we get in without destroying it. This gate is solid, not a membrane like in my dreams. If I try to force my way in, I'll cause the Collective to collapse. I thought that was the whole reason for me getting in there was to prevent the Collective from collapsing and destroying the planet."

"Very clever, milady," the Dragon Emperor commended, "you've seen the paradox in play here. I'm impressed. Understand this, Queen Kaeda Lucy Saros: the Collective you see before you is an artificial construct that does not belong here. It is not like the other natural dimensions you see beyond these other gates. Izanami's Collective is an artificial temporal anomaly designed to contain the war between her and Calidor. It was never meant to last for all eternity. Why else would she beg you to release her and the other prisoners within the Collective? And why else would the Collective be crumbling as it is? The Collective you see here is a structure that has finally outlived its purpose. Izanami designed this artificial dimension to be merged with the true Collective of the first Diclonius race of the Dragon Wars. But to do that, the true Queen had to emerge and break down the walls of the Collective Izanami created to contain her war with the Chaos Lord. Only then could she and you merge her Collective with the true Collective of the Diclonius. Whether you understand it or not, the Collective you are looking at now is nothing but a prison for the souls of your people, created in order to prevent to the Chaos Lord from destroying all life."

"But won't that release Calidor and allow him to free his people too?" Charlene called out.

"Yes," the Dragon Emperor answered bluntly. "But he will not succeed. He is too consumed with his own ego to realize that as the Queen's power grew his failed. Calidor's power comes from the souls he consumes. Take away those souls and he is vulnerable. Izanami and the angel Yuka are already eroding Calidor's power by using the Lilium against him. Even Lord Rayden has taken to using the song against the Chaos Lord. The song frees the souls Calidor has captured, thus weakening him. Izanami's whole plan hinged upon the true Queen of your race rising up and choosing life over death, just as you did. Wait a minute, I think I can explain this in terms you can understand. Does everyone know what boils are?" Everyone capitulated to understanding what a boil is. "A boil," the Dragon Emperor explained, "is an infection in the body that localizes in one spot to keep it from spreading throughout the body and destroying it. In your case, Izanami's Collective is the boil. Your body, the diclonius race, was infected when Calidor took Rayden. In an effort to save the body, Izanami sealed the infection…Calidor, in the Collective, thus creating the boil. At first, the boil doesn't hurt and is just a nuisance. But as time goes on, it festers and grow until it breaks out. The infection then spreads to other parts of the body. Now a doctor, when he or she sees a boil, what do they do to it in order to remedy the infection?"

Kohta suddenly understood the Dragon Emperor's reasoning. "They lance it and drain out the infected puss," he declared, "Then they clean it up and give the person some antibiotics to make sure the infection doesn't come back."

"Precisely," the Dragon Emperor declared. "In this case, Queen Lucy is the doctor. She has identified the infection within the body of the diclonius…an infection sealed inside the Collective created by Izanami to contain it. You know it as the Fury, which is the puss and Calidor, which is the core of the infection. Remove the core and the infection cannot stand. However, you don't know if lancing the boil is the right thing to do, correct milady?"

"Yeah," Lucy admitted. "Everything I've been told up to this point is that I need to get inside the Collective and rebalance it. Nothing was said about breaking it open."

"Tell me, Li Mei of Tibet," the Dragon Emperor called out. "When you deal with an infection, whether it be from a boil or a wound, do you leave it alone to fester or open it up so it will drain?"

"We open the wound and clean out the infection," Li Mei answered, her tone trembling.

"When you open the wound and clean out the infection, does it spread as it would if you had let the infection break out of its own accord?" the Dragon Emperor asked.

"It does not," Li Mei stated. "When we do that, we are in control and can dispose of the infection properly, allowing the patient to recover."

"Do you hear what your friend said?" the Dragon Emperor asked Lucy. "She knows how to deal with infections. What you are facing is a lethal infection in the diclonius collective body, milady. The only way to deal with it at this point is to open it up and destroy it."

"That's easy for you to say," Lucy countered. "You're talking about a person who is sick. When you open an infected wound on a person, it doesn't affect the entire planet!"

"You're correct," the Dragon Emperor answered. "A single person's infection usually doesn't affect the entire world. But, in this case, it did. Rayden was infected by Calidor's poison, and as a result, it has infected the entire diclonius race, and by default every living creature on the planet. But don't worry about that. You seem to be missing a very important point. Can you tell us what that is, Master Kohta?"

"Is it that when we deal with the infection on our terms, we can overcome it?" Kohta asked. "Otherwise, the infection runs rampant and kills its host."

"Very well put, Master Kohta," the Dragon Emperor commended. "That is precisely the point I was making." Turning to Lucy, he said, "You fear breaking into the Collective because it will release Calidor and allow him to overrun everything. But he can only overrun everything if he breaks out of the Collective by his own power. He has not yet reached that critical threshold yet. When you break into the Collective, opening the infection to outside, you are in control, not him. By opening the Collective now, you can stop him from completely poisoning and killing the diclonius race, and by default the rest of the planet. He has already been straining to break out of the Collective, sending filaments of his poison around the planet. The events in Japan and around the world are evidence enough of that. But he hasn't been able to completely free himself of the chains Izanami placed around his neck. Now is the hour for you, milady, to cleanse your body of this infection. Open the Collective, link with Izanami and her minions, and cut the cancerous infection of Calidor out of your collective body. I know you can do it. I believe in you."

"But I can't do it alone," Lucy retorted, her fear and doubt rising again. "We're not talking about doing surgery on a single person, but an entire race. I'm not sure I have what it takes."

The Dragon Emperor leaned down and looked Lucy in the eye, standing nose to nose with her. She saw her reflection in his enormous ruby eye. "You are not alone in this, milady. You have help from sources you can't even imagine. But you mustn't doubt yourself or your power. You were chosen from all the souls ever born to do this. It is your destiny. Besides, your friends are with you, and Master Kohta will never leave you. This is a task you can and must do, with his help, for the sake of all life everywhere."

Lucy's eyes flashed at the mention of Destiny. "My destiny is it? Well, I have news for you, my dragon friend. My destiny is in my hands and no one else's hands, so don't talk to me about Fate or Destiny. I've had my belly full of that kind of talk."

"Keep that fire, milady," the Dragon Emperor chimed, not insulted by her harsh rebuke. "It'll serve you well because you can count on Calidor invoking Fate and Destiny to get you to give in."

"You do realize that when I break this thing open, all hell is going to break loose all over the world. You know that, don't you?" Lucy asked pointedly.

"I do," the Dragon Emperor answered bluntly. "But it cannot be avoided. In order to eliminate the infection of Calidor, he must be drawn out into the open so we can destroy him."

"This is going to be very messy," Lucy grumbled. "Many people are going to die, even though I don't really give a shit about them. All I want is to live in peace with Kohta, my family, and friends. If I can truly finish this, will I have that?"

"If you finish this," the Dragon Emperor replied, "You can have anything your heart desires."

"Well, that's all I want," Lucy said coolly. "Will you help me end this sordid business, my dragon friend?"

"Yes," the Dragon Emperor replied. "As the last of the Dragon Guardians, I've waited six thousand years for this day. I would not miss it for anything. I have your back, and so do many other souls you don't know about. But this is your fight. I will intervene only as a last resort to prevent Calidor from breaking open the Dark Dimensions. It is the price of being the guardian of the Nexus."

"So you will not help unless Calidor is about to win," Lucy growled disapprovingly.

"That is correct, milady," the Dragon Emperor returned. "I know it doesn't set well with you, but it is as I said. Only when the Nexus itself is threatened can I become involved; however, that doesn't mean those with me cannot help."

"Sounds like the same old shit we've been dealing with all along," Kohta declared. "But it looks like we'll have to accept it, Lucy."

"Yeah," Lucy hissed between her teeth, visibly angered by the Dragon Emperor's conditions. "Once again, we are hung out to dry by the ones I trusted. If you're not going to help, then don't get in our way."

"I don't plan to," the Dragon Emperor returned coolly. "Despite what you think, this is not a betrayal on my part. I have responsibilities to guard this sacred space, a responsibility placed on me by the Eternal Council. If I even suspect that Calidor is going to threaten this place in the upcoming battle, I will come to your assistance. So milady, the time for talk has passed. What will you do?"

"I will cut out this cancerous infection and send him back where the fuck he belongs, with or without your help," Lucy growled viciously. "Now is the time that I decide who lives and who dies, not that fucking Calidor, or you for that matter."

"Very well, milady," the Dragon Emperor answered. "There's one last thing you should know. Here in the Nexus of all Realities, anything is possible. Here the living and the dead can meet face to face, and fractured personalities can become real and time has no meaning. Know that your fractured personalities will take on corporeal form when you open the Collective. Make good use of them. Work as a team and you will triumph. Also, don't underestimate the power of Nyu. She has power comparable to your own because of her innocence and love. Moreover, do not be crestfallen when you see your worst nightmares come to life in front of you. Calidor will use your fears and nightmares to destroy you. I suggest that you not be shaken by that, but tap his fears and nightmares. Turn his power against him and destroy him with his own evil."

"You sound like Master Akira, great Dragon," Kohta declared. "Do you have any words of advice for me?"

"Believe in yourself, Master Kohta," the Dragon Emperor stated. "And don't doubt your capabilities. You have the military power and prowess of the entire diclonius race surging through your veins because of Lucy's gift to you. But don't let your anger and rage get out of control. If you do, Calidor will be able to take you, just as he took Rayden, so keep your cool in the heat of battle."

"Good words to live by," Kohta replied gratefully. "Thank you. Now Lucy, are you ready to do this?"

"Not really," Lucy admitted. "But at this point, I don't have much choice. We must do this to save Yuka and Rayden. So how do I get in, Ryu-Wo-Chin?"

"Attack the gate with your vectors," the Dragon Emperor instructed. "Use a concentrated cut to slice through the seal of the gate. When you succeed, the gate will open, and the Collective will collapse, spreading out over this entire island, just as Izanami designed it to do. What you saw in your dreams of the Collective will become real, particularly on this island, and so will your enemy. But the Collective itself will not spread beyond the dimensional rift zone surrounding this island; however, Calidor's influence will have free reign over the planet at that point. He will be able to inflame the darkness of every living being on this planet, so it's imperative that you deal with him before he can physically flee the island. Take your fight to Calidor and finish it."

"I intend to," Lucy answered, steeling herself for the attack. "What about my friends there? I don't want to see them hurt."

"They are here because they wished it," the Dragon Emperor said. "Besides, it's too late to send them away. There's no sanctuary from this fight, so I will endeavor to keep them from harm while you and Master Kohta battle the Chaos Lord."

"Thank you," Lucy replied gratefully. "Now let's do this!"

She turned to the gate of the Collective and saw Izanami on the other side, a shimmering reflection mouthing the words, "Break the seal and free us. Use the sword of my power."

Lucy's eyes grew wide as Izanami smiled at her. Kohta also saw Izanami and touched Lucy on the shoulder. "This is what needs to be done, Lucy. I'm with you. Let's end this now."

"Right," Lucy growled. She waved at Izanami, who vanished into the white clouds swirling beyond the gate. Closing her eyes and concentrating, Lucy summoned her diclonius power. Izanami's voice echoed in her head, telling her to use the Sword of the Collective to break the seal. With a grunt and nod, she clapped her hands hard. The sound echoed throughout the Nexus. Seconds later, the Sword of the Collective appeared in her hand out of thin air. A wry smile crossed her lips. She turned to Kohta and asked, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Kohta instantly knew what she wanted. "Absolutely; no vector attacks here. We're going to use the proper tools to open and cleanse this infection." Kohta concentrated and clapped his hands together, and then separated them. As he did, smoke arose between his hands that solidified in the sword of Izanami's father…the same sword she gave him after he helped Lucy reintegrate her pieces. "Nice," he chimed, unsheathing the blade and putting the scabbard in his belt. "Finally, I have a reason to use this blade for good."

"Oh my," the Dragon Emperor rumbled with surprise. "You are both well-equipped with the power of the Collective. Those blades should be more than sufficient to open the Collective. Now strike, both of you at the same time at the same point."

"Ready, Kohta?" Lucy asked.

"Let's do this," Kohta growled.

"On three," Lucy said. "…three!" At three, she and Kohta attacked simultaneously, stabbing the shimmering wall of the Collective using the very power Izanami bestowed upon them. The swords collided with the wall, puncturing it with a loud crash as if a window had been shattered. A pulse of brilliant light flashed from the hit, briefly blinding everyone. Lucy and Kohta pulled their blades back and they looked, seeing a large break in the wall with a bright light shining through it from the far side. Kohta rubbed his eyes, trying to get the flash spots to go away as he stepped back. Lucy, on the other hand, unsatisfied by the hit, shouted, "God damn it, open up!" and slashed with a powerful diagonal sword strike and a concentrated hammer-strike using a hundred vectors that contained all her anger and power. The shimmering wall exploded with a concussive blast that threw Lucy and Kohta to the deck of the platform. The Dragon Emperor moved quickly, shielding Lucy's friends from the blast. An eerie howl arose, like the howl of wind escaping a pressurized container. The white clouds of Izanami's side of the Collective rushed out with the dark clouds of the Fury. Within the blink of an eye, the Nexus seemed to vanish, replaced by the inside of the Collective. The shrine had reappeared with everything now in a dull grayish tone.

Deep in the Fury, Calidor suddenly looked back toward Izanami's side with a scowl. The collapsing Collective rattled like broken glass falling out of a shattered window. The howl of it escaping into the real world echoed like a demon screaming in torment. "What?" Calidor roared. "No! I'm not ready! They can't do this to me. I don't have the power to break the chains on the Dark Dimension yet! Fuck! They'll regret this." He raged and retreated to castle Neilfheim.

Deep within the castle at the same moment, Rayden and Yuka became aware of a strange harmonic tremor within their crystal prisons that grew until it shook the entire castle. "What's going on?" Yuka asked fearfully of Rayden.

"I'm not sure," Rayden replied. "But I think the Queen just broke open the Collective from the outside."

"What does that mean?" Yuka asked.

"It means the Queen and her consort are coming to get you," Rayden declared. "Your imprisonment here is nearing its end."

Yuka's heart and mind leapt with joy at Rayden's words. "Let's help them find us with the song, Rayden," she suggested.

"I couldn't agree more," he replied. With that, Yuka hummed Lilium softly while Rayden hummed it loud as he could to disrupt Calidor's evil influence and to provide a beacon for Lucy and Kohta.

Izanami stood with her legions on her side of the Collective and cheered as Lucy and Kohta broke open their prison. "At last…our time has come!" she crowed.

On the Chimera while the whale song and Lilium played through the intercom, Fargo stood next to Mayu's bed in the secured section of the infirmary when the Collective shattered. He turned instinctively toward the island with a concerned look as an eerie moan seemed to penetrate every corner of the ship, rattling nerves. Nana huddled with Mayu on her bed as they looked at Fargo, both of them trembling in fear. Myra, having just woke, heard the unearthly noise and asked, "Captain, what on earth is that? It sounds like someone being burned alive." Fargo held Mayu's hand and answered Myra, "The Collective just collapsed. I felt it when it did. What we're hearing is the Collective escaping into our world. The only thing is I can't figure out whether Lucy did it or the King did it. Either way, we must be very careful now. The King will now try to send everyone into a fit of madness to kill us all."

"I don't know," Mayu whispered. "Something isn't right here. If Calidor managed to break out, we'd all be tearing each other's guts out right now. What I'm feeling is not the dark madness I saw in the King, but a deep sadness. It's like the whole world is holding its breath."

"I agree," Nana stated. "I think Lucy and Kohta are doing this. We must believe in them, otherwise we're not going to survive."

"I agree," Myra mumbled. "My mind is still in a mud from what happened, but I do know that whatever is happening isn't messing with my mind yet. I don't have the irrational fear and hate washing over me that is characteristic of the Fury. I think the final battle has finally begin. We must pray for our friends and family that they win and make it out in one piece."

"That is sound advice," Fargo agreed. "Prayer is all that's left now. We'd best make good use of it."

Mayu looked up from her bed at Fargo, putting on a confident smile. "Lucy and Kohta will fix this. I know they will. We just need to believe, Captain. God is on our side and so is Izanami."

Fargo patted Mayu on the hand, amazed at the strength she had despite everything that had happened to her. Her words also gave him strength and hope, bringing a smile to his lips.

Across the globe beyond Collective Island's dimension rift zone, the shattering of the Collective rippled through the populations of diclonius and infected humans like a rock thrown into a pond. The ripples of Fury fog radiated out from the island, moving at incredible speed. Wherever the Fury Fog encountered people, it melted them into puddles of sludge. At the same time, glowing fogs of white appeared, protecting uninfected populations from the advance of the deadly Fury Fogs. Collisions of the two diametrically opposed fogs created supercell storms that obliterated anything near it. Uninfected populations of human and diclonius took shelter in caves and bunkers to escape the carnage and madness of a world locked in a genocidal endgame. Within two hours, the battling fogs had reached North America, spreading with as much speed as the initial release of the Fury done at the Institute. The President of the United States watched helplessly from his armored underground bunker with a diclonius named Samuel Wallace as the world descended into chaos. "Will we survive?" the President asked Samuel.

"Honestly, I don't know," Samuel replied grimly. "I can only pray that the Queen stops this chaos before it consumes us all."

Back at the Nexus where the gate for the Collective once stood, Kohta shook off the blast from opened gateway as he stood, shaking his head while clenching Mamoru's sword. "Whoa, what a hit; are you okay, Lucy?" The Shrine had reappeared with the breaching of the Collective, turning everything a dull gray.

"I think so," she said, rising to her feet with Izanami's sword in hand. She looked around and gawked, seeing the dull gray of the Collective coloring everything. "Are we now in the Collective? Did the Collective escape like Ryu-Wo-Chin claimed?"

"It most certainly did," a familiar voice called out from where the gate once stood. "I knew I could count on you to free us, my precious daughter. Now we can save your friend, destroy Calidor, and send him back to where he belongs."

Kohta's eyes grew wide, seeing none other than Izanami standing there in armor bearing a long blazing katana in her fist, ready for battle. "Oh my god," he breathed. "I'm not dreaming this time, am I? That's really you, isn't it, Izanami?"

"Yes, Master Kohta," Izanami answered. "You're not dreaming; not this time. Even though I've been dead to this dimension for 1700 years, I am still here. Only in the Nexus can the living and the dead stand face to face. Now we have much work to do. Calidor is not going to be pleased that you shattered the Collective before he gained enough power to break out, Lucy. He's going to come for us to gain the power he needs to leave this place and open the gate for his infernal brood. We must stop him."

"Just show us the way," Lucy growled. "It's time we finished this."

"Yes, let's set the balance right and link ourselves to the true Collective where we will not have to fight the Fury ever again," Izanami stated. "The Collective I created to contain our war mirrors this island. Calidor's dark fortress of pain, Nielfheim, lies to the west of here on the high ground of the island. Come, follow me; I shall show you the way."

"Right," Lucy returned with grim determination.

"Your Majesty," Izanami called out to the Dragon Emperor. "The humans chosen to witness this battle are in grave peril. Protect them from the darkness as you did all those millennia ago. They are Lucy's friends and family. You royals are to help protect them as well."

"It shall be done," the Dragon Emperor replied. "No harm shall come to them as long as I live."

"Yes, Izanami," Tao barked in obedience. "Your will shall be done."

Izanami nodded and waved to Lucy and Kohta. "Let's go," she ordered.

Lucy and Kohta followed Izanami out through Guardian's Way to the shrine's courtyard. When they reached the courtyard, Lucy and Kohta found themselves greeted by a sea of armed diclonius souls: minions of Izanami's light. Their numbers filled the courtyard, plaza, walls, and the mountainside all around the shrine. Lucy stared in awe at the countless souls who had come to her assistance from within the Collective. "My Queen," Izanami said, "say hello to our people. They are here to back you and Master Kohta up in the battle to come."

"Who are they?" Lucy asked softly.

"What you see is every pure diclonius soul since Rayden and I lived who entered the Collective not tainted by the Fury," Izanami declared. "They help me keep the Fury at bay, and now they stand ready to fight for the salvation of our race."

Kohta looked around in utter stupefaction at the army before him. Suddenly, he caught glimpse of two familiar-looking people walking toward Izanami. A gasp escaped his lips as he recognized Akira Nariko and Jin-Ryu Osabi. "Lucy, look!" he cried in great delight.

Lucy blinked as Akira and Jin stopped a few paces away and bowed to Izanami. "All is in readiness," Akira declared. "We only need the word to advance."

"Master Akira?" Lucy asked, not believing her eyes.

"Yes, my Queen," Akira stated. "It is I. I am now one with the Collective and Izanami, and by default, with you. We stand ready to give our power to you to destroy this evil."

Kohta rushed forward and embraced Akira, weeping joyously. "Oh Master Akira," he sobbed. "It's so good to see you again. Did I do what you wanted properly? Am I measuring up?"

Akira patted Kohta on the back. "Master Kohta," Akira cooed. "You performed my last rites flawlessly, and you have more than measured up. I am now just a deceased diclonius soul under Lucy's and your command. Don't be afraid to do what you know must be done. Am I not always with you?"

Kohta wiped the tears from his eyes. "Yes, you are. Please forgive my emotional response. When I saw you there, I lost it for a moment."

"It's quite all right," Akira stated. "But you must now steel yourself for the fight of your life. You mustn't allow yourself to lose control, even for a moment in what's facing us. Even a moment's hesitation or doubt could be disastrous for everyone. Remember what I taught you and you will be all right."

"Akira's right," Izanami stated. "You need to focus on the job at hand. We have a formidable opponent in Calidor. Steel yourself and keep what you're fighting for in the front of your mind and you will prevail. Now are we ready to take the war to Calidor?"

"Yes," Kohta returned stoutly.

"Yes," Lucy stated. "But first, I think I have an idea on a strategy."

"By all means, let's hear it," Izanami replied.

Lucy motioned for Akira, Kohta, and Izanami to gather around. For a few moments, Lucy laid out her strategy for dealing with Calidor and rescuing Yuka and Rayden. "Well, do you think it will work?" Lucy asked.

"You have grasped Calidor's weaknesses well, milady," Akira stated. "I think it has a high likelihood of success. I am with you."

"You've embraced your destiny, my precious daughter," Izanami chimed with pleasure. "I will wait for your signal and attack with the Lilium. Today we end this war and show the Eternal Council that the human race is here to stay."

"Sounds like a plan," Kohta said. "Let's get it done before that shit lays waste to the entire planet."

Izanami put her arms around Lucy and Kohta. "I infuse my link to every piece of the Collective into you both. Use it to access our Collective power and life when you need it most." Izanami sent a vector into Lucy and Kohta, implanting her link to the whole Collective into each of them. Kohta grimaced in pain as the linkage burned into his piece of the Collective, linking him to the Collective as a whole. He groaned as the surge of almost infinite power filled him before subsiding to a tolerable level.

Lucy clenched Izanami in agonizing pain, knowing the implantation of Izanami's linkage to the whole Collective was the only way. Her cry echoed over the assembled army. They willed their power to ease her pain and it did as Izanami's linkage fused into Lucy's piece. A great sigh of relief hissed from Lucy's lips as the pain ebbed away.

"It is done," Izanami declared. "The torch has been passed. Now you and Master Kohta are the keepers of the Collective, not I. I live to serve you both as every soul here does. Now let's finish this."

"Indeed," Lucy replied, feeling the power of the Collective surging through her now. "Let's go kill ourselves a fucking monster and save our friends."

"Aye," Akira chimed. Turning to the army of diclonius souls, Akira raised his clenched fist and shouted, "The Queen has spoken! Let's kill the beast and save our friends!"

A rumbling war cry rose from the horde, chanting, "Kill the Beast, Save our friends!'

Kohta felt a powerful chill race down his spine at the chanting war cry. A smile crossed his lips as he suddenly felt like a general commanding a vast army. He was no longer at the mercy of those more powerful than he was. No longer was he the helpless boy who saw his world mangled by the diclonius fury. Now, he was not just one of them, but their leader with Lucy. Moreover, he now possessed the power to fight for and protect those he loved. Lifting his blade to the featureless gray sky, Kohta shouted, "Let's show the universe we are not going quietly into the night! We will fight and show every living thing in this accursed universe that we humans are here forever and we chose life over death! Life!" A bone-rattling cheer rose from the multitude as they repeated his last utterance. Kohta stabbed at the sky with his sword again, shouting, "Life!" The army responded with a shout that shook the island, and maybe even the planet. "For our friends and family…move out!" he roared, pointing his sword to the west, towards Calidor's domain. Kohta instantly started walking with Lucy beside him on the right, sheathing his blade as he walked. A wry smile plastered Lucy's face as Izanami walked on Kohta's left with Akira and Jin right behind them followed by their army.

"A little over the top, don't you think?" Lucy asked Kohta.

"Maybe just a little, even a little cheesy," Kohta admitted. "I kind of got carried away. I've never felt so powerful before. For the first time in my life, I really feel like I have the ability to protect those I love. This is our day, Lucy. Today, we show everyone everywhere what we can do to protect those we care about. Calidor will go back to that pit that spawned him, and we'll get Yuka and Rayden back, along with every other diclonius soul Calidor's taken. Today we show the universe the true power of humanity: both regular human and diclonius."

"I really hope you're right," Lucy answered coolly as they walked out a side gate to the west.

"I know I am," Kohta stated. "For the first time in my entire life, I'm not afraid of what may happen. We will win and our people will finally have the peace they so deserve."

"You should pay attention to his words, milady," Jin stated from a discrete distance. "He has grasped our dilemma much better than I ever hoped he would."

Lucy cast a wary eye to Jin, having sensed his presence approaching. "So should you, Jin," she returned. "I'm relieved that you managed to make it to Izanami after that fucking shit you pulled on the Chimera."

"I barely made it," Jin admitted. "It was your hand that allowed me to enter Izanami's domain, and for that, I am eternally grateful. But it still doesn't make what I did right, even though I was possessed by the Fury."

"Wait a minute," Kohta interrupted. "I thought only those who weren't tainted by the Fury could enter Izanami's side of the Collective. You were gone, completely overrun by the Fury when Bandoh stopped you from killing Myra. How did you get here with the Fury on you like that?"

"I don't know," Jin admitted. "All I know is when Bandoh cut me in half, the Fury drained out of me with my blood and guts. I guess that hit must have driven the Fury from me before Lucy put me down. That's the only reason I can come up with as to why I ended up on Izanami's side…that and the fact that she snatched my soul from Calidor's slimy tentacles at the last second."

"Is that true, Izanami?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Izanami replied. "We almost lost Jin to the darkness. But the power with which you sent his soul to me allowed me to grab Jin before Calidor could secure his grip on him."

"That makes him one lucky son of a bitch," a cold, vicious voice called out from off the path, a voice that sounded very familiar to both Kohta and Lucy.

Everyone looked, seeing Dark Lucy's scarred Frankenstein-style face glaring down on them from a boulder. She was clad in armor, with a strange-looking black blade sheathed at her side. Lucy and Kohta stopped, their eyes wide. Kohta quickly recalled the Dragon Emperor's words about Lucy's pieces taking on a corporeal form in the Nexus. A wry smile crossed his lips as Lucy continued to stare at Dark Lucy, flabbergasted at her physical appearance. "What do you want, little Fury?" Kohta asked bluntly.

Dark Lucy stood menacingly, her hand resting heavily upon the hilt of her blade. "You know exactly why I'm here, human," she hissed. "Now are we going to take this shit out or are we going to stand around and play patty cake? I'm ready for some demon blood, and maybe yours if you're not careful."

"That's enough of that, bitch," Lucy snapped, reaching out and slapping Dark Lucy down with a vector strike so fast that Dark Lucy didn't see it coming. "You know better than to speak to Kohta like that. I'm in charge here, not you."

"Of course you are," Dark Lucy grumbled. "I'm just itching to take that prick down that's caused us all this trouble. Are we going to end him or not?"

"Of course we are," Kohta declared. "But we aren't going to do it with brute force. We have to be clever with this fox and trap him before we can deal with him. You already know what we're going to do. Now are you going to help or what?"

"As if you need to ask," Dark Lucy chimed wickedly.

"Then stick to the plan," Lucy snapped. "And you aren't to harm Yuka in any way. Is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Dark Lucy returned sarcastically.

Kohta snatched Dark Lucy with his vectors, immobilizing her and bringing her nose to nose with him. His nostrils flared as his eyes blazed. "Listen to me and let it sink into that thick skull of yours. If I hear one more peep of sarcasm from you, I will rearrange your brain so you can't talk. Lucy doesn't need your boorish sarcasm. She needs your help, as do I and every other soul on this god-forsaken planet. We aren't just fighting for justice, we are fighting for our right to exist in this cosmos. This is too serious a matter for you to be a pig-headed little girl who insults everyone when she doesn't get her way. Now shape up. We need you."

"Kohta," another voice called out from the left. "Put Fury down. Your lecture isn't needed. Fury knows what we need to do to end this."

Kohta looked to the left, seeing Kaeda and Nyu approaching through the crowd of souls, who parted for them. Both were armored and armed with blades. Nyu's bright eyes conveyed concern for Kohta. "Please no hurt Bad Lucy," Nyu said softly. "Bad Lucy talk not mean anything. It just how she is."

Kohta's mouth fell open as he realized he let his anger get the better of him again. He looked at Kaeda and Nyu, seeing Kaeda's solemn face and Nyu's pleading eyes. Sitting Dark Lucy down, he released her while looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted like that. I let my anger get the better of me. Can you forgive me?"

Dark Lucy glared at him for a moment, and then slugged him across the jaw with her fist. Kohta's face jerked from the hit. He rubbed his jaw, looking at Lucy, who had a smug look of satisfaction on her face. "I deserved that, didn't I?" he asked humbly.

"You're fucking right," Dark Lucy snapped. "Next time I may do more than just slug you with my fists. Besides, I have bigger fish to fry. Calidor isn't going to play nice when we meet in battle. He's going to try to incite your anger, just like I did. Now if you have any brain cells inside that thick melon on top of your neck, you'll pay attention. You need to lock down that anger if you plan on tangling with him because he will try to drive you to rage. Once you lose control of your anger, he has you, so don't get into a rage. Remember what the Dragon Emperor told you. Keep that fucking anger in check! If you can't control it when I provoke you, how the hell are you going to control it when a Chaos Lord of Calidor's caliber provokes you? We can't having you fucking things up because you can't control your emotions."

"Fury is right," Izanami stated, having seen the entire episode. "She was trying you at Lucy's order to see if you'd lose your cool, and you did."

Kohta's face snapped to Lucy, who nodded. "That's right, Kohta. Better we know now than when I need you most," Lucy stated.

Kohta sighed. Everything everyone had said about him was spot on. "Thank you for showing me my weakness," he said. "Being a diclonius is harder than I thought. I can see how this power makes it incredibly easy to lose control. I understand better now how you feel, Fury. It's a hard lesson, but a good one that I will take to heart. It just goes to show that I'm still trying to figure out what it means to be one of you."

Dark Lucy smiled wickedly. "You'll never truly understand what it means to be one of us. But you have shown me another reason why the humans shouldn't be exterminated. If you can learn from your mistake, then so can the other humans."

"And so can we as diclonius," Kaeda stated. "Now let's finish this."

"Yes," Kohta agreed. "Let's kill the monster and save our people."

"On to Calidor's castle," Lucy barked. She turned to Izanami and said, "Stay out of sight as we approach his domain and wait for our signal."

"Yes, milady," Izanami stated. "We will be ready."

"Come on, Kohta," Lucy ordered. "Let's go say hello to the devil himself."

"And kill the lousy shit for all the trouble he's caused," Kohta added.

"Follow this path to the top of the ridge," Izanami ordered. "Calidor's domain begins just the other side of this mountain. We shall remain out of sight on this side and await your signal."

"Be very careful," Akira pleaded. "…both of you. Hide your power and fortify your minds against Calidor's evil as you approach him. He's crafty so you must be even more crafty. You have my prayers and the prayers of every diclonius that ever came to Izanami."

"Thanks, Master Akira," Kohta replied, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Prayer is always welcome. Just be ready."

"We will," Izanami stated. "Now go and may the gods grant us victory and justice today."

Lucy cast a slightly sour look at Izanami. "Come on, Kohta. Time is running out," Lucy stated coolly. With that, Lucy, Kaeda, Dark Lucy, Nyu, and Kohta moved on, following the path to the top of the ridge, leaving behind their army.

Kohta glanced back and saw the army melting away into the terrain. "Man, they move like ghosts," he commented.

"That's because they are ghosts," Lucy returned. "You, I, and Yuka are the only ones who are truly alive on this mountain. You need to remember that."

"I will," Kohta answered. When they topped the ridge, looking west, Kohta felt his heart sink into his shoes. Lucy grimaced at the bleak landscape confronting them. Just 10 meters down the mountain stood the edge of the Fury. But unlike the last time they saw it, this time the dark roiling clouds were not present down at the surface. The dark clouds stood five hundred meter over Lucy and Kohta's head, casting a deep shadow over the whole landscape. Eerie glows from rivers of molten rock lit the whole of the Fury in a hellish red glow. Off in the distance on the highest peak, they saw Calidor's castle of pain: a fortress seemingly carved out of the side of an active volcano that spewed rivers of lava. Shadows flitted amongst the rocks and glowing red eyes seemed to look at them from every rock and boulder in the wasteland between them and the fortress. "I didn't think hell really existed," Kohta whispered. "But now I believe. This god awful place has to be the realm of the damned."

"In a way, it is," Lucy said softly. "The damned of our people are confined here by Calidor. It's our job to go in there, destroy him, and rescue Yuka. Kaeda, Nyu, Fury…conceal yourselves now and follow us in."

"Right," Kaeda replied. She, Nyu, and Dark Lucy spun their vectors, vanishing from sight.

A rock tumbled from a nearby boulder, causing Lucy and Kohta to wheel toward the noise, defenses up ready to attack any enemy. They looked around until they saw a shadow moving just at the edge of the Fury. "What is that?" Kohta asked, blade drawn and vectors ready to pounce.

"I don't know," Lucy whispered, ready to attack this unknown if it became hostile. "I can't sense it at all."

The shadow slipped past the edge of the Fury into Izanami's side of the Collective, hiding behind the boulders. As it moved slowly toward them, Kohta straightened up with curiosity. "There's something familiar about that ghost," he said. Then addressing the mystery intruder, he called out, "You there, come on out if you value your life."

A vicious, bone-chilling laugh rose from the specter, a laugh Kohta instantly recognized, as did Lucy. "You can't kill that which is already dead, you stupid shit," the voice chided. "I knew you were stupid, but god damned. I thought you would have known better."

Lucy scowled and lashed out with her vectors, snaring the ghostly form, bringing him into the open. "And you still haven't learned to keep that boorish mouth shut, Bandoh!" Lucy snapped. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Same as you," Bandoh stated as Kohta stared at Bandoh's mutated form, just as he remembered the last time he saw Bandoh. "I'm hunting a demon. That fucking shit dragged me in here and I want out. But I don't have the power to do it on my own. That's where you come in."

"You mean that you're not controlled by Calidor?" Kohta asked.

"Fuck no!" Bandoh balked. "He has no power over me and never did. I'm my own man and that's the way it will always be."

"Do you know where Yuka is being kept?" Lucy asked.

"Of course I know where she is," Bandoh crowed. "And I know where the one called Rayden is being kept. We break Rayden out and the fuck that brought me here is in some serious shit."

"WHERE IS YUKA?" Kohta demanded.

"Calm down, Kohta," Bandoh replied. "Don't get your panties in a wad. The girl is alive, but she's encased in a crystal pillar in Calidor's throne room. The little bitch has caused him all kinds of problems with that little song of hers."

"What do you want?" Lucy asked bluntly.

"I want out of here," Bandoh stated. "If I help you get the girl, you help me get out of this bubble. After that, we never have to meet again. Besides, I want that shit to die or go the fuck back where he belongs. One thing I know for sure about this Calidor is that he is not of this world."

"All right," Lucy replied. "I think we can help you out after what you did at the Institute to hold him while we got away. Just show us the way in without being seen and together we can destroy Calidor. Have we got a deal?"

"Yes," Bandoh hissed, very pleased with the response he got from Lucy. "Just follow me. And conceal your presence. It'll make approaching the castle much easier." He started back toward the Fury area. Just before entering it, he looked back and saw no one. "Shit, they ditched me. Should've known not to trust that bitch."

A vector slapped Bandoh across the face as Lucy's voice snarled from thin air, "We didn't ditch you, you dumb shit. We're camouflaged. Now lead on. We'll follow right behind you."

"All right, damn it," Bandoh hissed. "Follow close. I know the back way into the castle." With that, he led them into the Calidor's domain.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Kohta whispered to Lucy.

"Yes," Lucy replied. "Trust me. This is going to work. Neither Bandoh or Calidor will know what hit them when we're done."

"I hope so," Kohta said softly.

A/N: The stage is set and the players are ready. Lucy and Kohta take a great chance by following the ghost of Bandoh into the heart of Calidor's territory. Will Bandoh turn on them or help them save Yuka from Calidor's fortress. Even more important, will Lucy and Kohta be able to take down Calidor and send him back to the Dark Dimension before he manages to eradicate all intelligent life on the planet? Keep reading to find out. The Final Battle for the soul of the humanity is on in the next chapter. As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	36. Chapter 36 The Heart of Darkness

A/N: The following three chapters were written as a single piece and then broken into smaller pieces for the reader's benefit. The final battle for the fate of the universe begins now. Will Lucy and Kohta triumph in the face of the vast darkness of Calidor and find the peace they covet so? Read on to find out how it all ends.

Beowulf Caverias

Chapter 36

The Heart of Darkness

Yuka looked out of her crystal prison, humming the Lilium silently while noticing the castle had become eerily silent. A feeling of deep creeping dread swallowed her in the silence. "Rayden…I'm scared," she called to him with her mind. "…and I don't know why."

"You must be calm, Yuka," Rayden replied. "…and don't be afraid. Calidor feeds on fear. But your fear may be justified. I can sense an impending doom approaching, like a storm of unparalleled fierceness is about to descend on us."

"What can we do?" Yuka asked. "I don't want to die."

"You're not going to die, my precious angel," Rayden declared. "Your family is not going to allow it and neither am I. Calidor's worst mistake was bringing your living soul into this inner sanctum of the damned. Now the power of your life-force is weakening him because of your undying love for your cousin and your family."

"Do you really think Kohta will come for me?" Yuka asked, her mind filling with doubts and irrational fears.

"He will come for you," Rayden answered confidently. "You must trust me and him. He loves you more than you can ever know. It's such a powerful love that even I can feel it. He is coming for you. But you must not let Calidor steal away your hope. Sing the song, my angel, and feel its connection to him to reassure your tormented soul."

"No one is coming for you, little soul," Calidor growled, having heard Rayden's words of encouragement to Yuka as he entered the throne room. "No one who enters my domain ever escapes. I will kill that pest myself and eat his soul in front of you. Then you will see the folly of your foolish hope. You are mine…FOREVER!"

"Don't listen to him, Yuka," Rayden retorted. "He is a master of lies and deceit!"

"Silence, Rayden! I told you not to interfere," Calidor snapped. "Now pay the price for your arrogance and interference." Calidor raised his hand and electricity surged from it, striking Rayden's crystal pillar, electrifying it. Rayden shrieked in agonizing pain, a shriek that echoed out through the halls of Nielfheim and out into the Collective, causing every soul to pause.

"Stop it!" Yuka pleaded. "Please stop hurting him! He's no threat to you!"

"He never was, human germ," Calidor snarled. "But he has to learn who is master here. I'm not going to tolerate insurrection to my rule. Worlds without end have fallen to me, as will this one. No one defies the Lord of the Chaos dimensions."

"Don't listen to him, Yuka!" Rayden screamed in blinding agony. "He lies. He is neither the master of my soul nor yours!" As the electricity surged around and through Rayden's crystal prison, the hairline fractures in the crystal matrix tripled in number and expanded, weakening his prison even more.

"That's enough! Stop it, monster!" Yuka begged. "Please stop it now or I'll sing the song you hate so much!"

Calidor turned his head towards Yuka and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, the little human germ thinks it can save her friend with a song? You presume much, human, to think that you can tangle with me. Since you think so much of your friend here, why don't you join him in his agony!" Calidor pointed at Yuka with his other hand and electrified her prison too. She screamed in mortal terror and pain; a shriek that reached out across time and space to Kohta and Lucy, galvanizing their resolve. "How do you like that, human germ? Is that sufficient to silence your trifling mouth?" Calidor taunted.

At that moment in the wastelands outside of Castle Nielfheim, Kohta flinched, feeling the burning electrical fires tormenting Yuka. He groaned, staggering to a halt. Lucy began to ask what troubled him when she too felt Yuka and Rayden's torment. "Lucy," Kohta hissed in pain. "We must help them; strengthen them against this inhuman torment."

Lucy grabbed Kohta in a tight embrace. "We shall send our strength to her and Rayden," Lucy snarled through the pain. "Together we can stop this torment." Kohta nodded and returned the embrace. Together, they sent their strength through the genetic channels unknown to Calidor or Yuka, empowering her from afar.

"Sing, Yuka…Sing the Lilium, Yuka, and free yourself of this torment," Kohta called out through time and space with his diclonius power, tapping for the first time his deep genetic connection with Yuka as his cousin.

Yuka heard Kohta's voice reach into her mind as a surge of strength that surprised her filled her being. She abruptly stopped screaming in pain as the surge of strength overrode the searing pain of Calidor's electrical torment. Instantly, the Lilium erupted from her, directed at Calidor. The song increased in intensity every moment she sang it while being electrified. Rayden suddenly joined in, pushing past the pain, giving Yuka support in her attack on Calidor.

"What the hell?" Calidor cursed, feeling the song sapping his power. "This is impossible!" He lowered his arms, ceasing to punish Yuka and Rayden with his electrical attack while trying to defend himself from the harmonic frequency attack of the Lilium.

"Not impossible!" Rayden retorted as Yuka sang on furiously to punish Calidor as much as he had done to her. "Your own arrogance has led to the discovery of the ancient weapon that defeated you long ago. I understand now how this song is so detrimental to you. The harmonic frequencies of this song disrupt your dark power! Had you only left Yuka's soul alone, you would not be in this situation. But you didn't! You had to grab her for bait! Now you're undone by your own arrogance! Sing on, my angel Yuka! Punish him as he punished you and the rest of us for thousands of years!"

Yuka smiled in her mind as she cranked the intensity of the song up a notch, not caring at this point if she lived or died. The only thought she had was to punish Calidor as much as possible for his abuse before he could kill her.

Calidor staggered back, holding his head with his hands and howling in agony. Black blood began to ooze from his nostrils and ears. "Enough!" he roared, snapping his arms downward, sending out a hammer pulse of dark telepathic power that silenced both Yuka and Rayden within their prisons, knocking them into unconsciousness with a shriek. When the song stopped, Calidor grumbled, shaking his head, surprised that a mere human could inflict so much damage on him with a mere song. Staggering back, he slumped on the dais steps, gathering his wits. "Seems I underestimated this human germ," he murmured, feeling a bit of admiration for Yuka's valiant attempt to survive against all odds. "You are much stronger than I thought. I'll not underestimate you again. Your soul will provide me with much power when I finally absorb it." He coughed and blood rose in his mouth. Spitting out the black blood, Calidor again cursed. "But you've hurt me with your attack, human germ. For that, you shall pay for your impudence by watching me destroy your family before your eyes."

Abruptly, Calidor sensed Lucy approaching at a distance within his domain. A wicked grin crossed his evil lips. "Thought you could hide from me within my own domain, did you, my foolish Queen?" he cackled. "You thought wrong. Let me provide you with an appropriate reception. Mariko!"

The young diclonius girl Kakuzawa sent after Lucy and Nana appeared before Calidor. Her eyes blazed with hatred for him as she glared at him. "What do you want, Beast?" Mariko snarled.

Calidor slapped her viciously with a vector, throwing her up aside Rayden's pillar. "Mind how you speak to me, bitch. I am master here."

Mariko slowly rose to her feet, leaning on Rayden's pillar and feeling his power oozing out of the crystal through the hairline fractures in it, strengthening her. A wry smile crossed her lips as she said, "Right. What do you want me to do?"

"Lucy has entered my domain with her pestilent consort," Calidor stated venomously. "Bring them to me so I may destroy them."

Mariko's grin grew wider and more devilish. "May I have some fun with them first?"

Calidor reached out and strangled Mariko with a vector. "No, you bitch! Lucy is mine! If you so much as scratch her, I will eat your soul myself and throw your rotting corpse to the worms! Now get out of my sight and don't return without her." Calidor tossed Mariko against the wall near the entrance to the throne room, briefly stunning her. When she rose with a glassy-eyed look, Calidor added, "Take as many souls as you need to bring them here. Go. And if you see that traitor Bandoh, destroy him."

Mariko nodded and staggered out of the throne room, thinking, _He's going to pay for that if it's the last thing I do. No one treats me like that and gets away with it._

When Mariko left the throne room, Calidor looked at Yuka with disgust, formulating a new strategy on dealing with his adversaries. A despicably horrendous thought came into his head that brought a huge smile to his demon face. "I know just what to do now, my dear," he crowed. "You will regret your actions this day as I rip your precious family and friends to bits in front of you." Calidor slapped his hands together and vanished in a flash of light and smoke, his maniacal laughter echoing throughout the throne room.

Lucy and Kohta followed Bandoh through the burning wasteland of the Fury in vector-spawned concealment. Hordes of fury-crazed diclonius under Calidor's control watched from the shadows as Bandoh weaved through the maze of canyons and rivers of molten rock, slowly surrounding him, Lucy, and Kohta. Yet they stayed back a discreet distance, fearful of Bandoh's own dark power…a power they quickly learned to respect as much as Calidor's. Bandoh kept a close eye on them as he moved like a ghost across the burning terrain.

"I don't like this," Kohta whispered. "They know we're here, even though we have concealed ourselves."

"Quiet, you little prick," Bandoh hissed. "They see me, not you, so don't blow your cover. We are close to the castle so don't tip your hand prematurely."

"Kohta's right," Lucy agreed. "I can feel it. They are being drawn to me because of what I am. It can't be avoided. They sense my power."

"Quiet, bitch," Bandoh retorted. "They don't see you."

The canyon they traversed suddenly opened into a small valley at the base of the volcano of Castle Nielfheim. A gentle rain of ash fell on them as Bandoh stopped and surveyed the scene. He didn't like the open nature of the ground between him and the castle. A disapproving growl rose from him.

"Why did we stop?" Kohta asked.

"Something's wrong here," Bandoh snarled. "It's too quiet."

"Is this the only way into the castle?" Lucy asked, not liking the openness of the path before her either.

"It is," Bandon replied. "But it is usually guarded. The fact that the guards are not around bothers me."

"You better not be leading us into a trap," Lucy hissed venomously.

Bandoh chuckled wickedly, folding his arms across his chest. "I don't have to. You walked into a world of shit when you crossed into Calidor's domain. This whole fucking world of his is a trap. Isn't that right, my fellow prisoners of Calidor?"

Without warning, Lucy, Kohta, and Bandoh found themselves surrounded by countless fury-crazed diclonii that cut off their escape. They howled like bloodthirsty hellhounds ready to descend upon their hapless victims. "You might as well drop the camouflage…both of you," Bandoh crowed. "They and Calidor have known of your presence since you crossed over into his domain."

Lucy and Kohta dropped their vector camouflage, reappearing out of thin air. Kohta's face twisted with anger. "You fucking son of a bitch!" Kohta roared. "You purposely led us into this trap! Why the hell did you do it if you never intended for us to help you?" Kohta started to attack with his vectors when Lucy restrained him with her vectors.

"No, Kohta…This is not the place," she declared. "We're not in position. Besides, I fully expected this treachery from him. It's a part of him. He can no more ignore it than we could ignore the Fury." Kohta backed down with her words, seeing the truth of her statement but not liking the implications of it.

"You'd best pay attention to the bitch, Kohta," Bandoh said sternly. "She knows me better than you realize. Besides, you are only seeing part of the picture here."

"What are you talking about, you shit-faced fuck?" Lucy retorted, turning a stony face to Bandoh.

"Oh wouldn't you like to know, bitch," Bandoh crowed with insane delight. "Now I have the means to exact my revenge on everyone responsible for me being here, including you. You and your fucking boyfriend have been a bur in my side ever since we met. It's a pity that neither of you will survive your meeting with Calidor. Now are you going to come quietly or do we take you to him one piece at a time?"

"You're going to pay for this, Bandoh," Lucy declared stonily. "I promise you."

Bandoh clobbered her with his metallic fist, drawing blood and sending her crashing to the ground. "Put it on my tab, bitch. You owe me for my eyes and arm. Besides, you don't have the power to take Calidor down anyway. You never did. Otherwise you would have disposed of me the moment you suspected I was leading you into this trap."

"If she doesn't do it, I will," Kohta roared, infuriated that Bandoh struck Lucy.

Again, Kohta started to attack when Lucy called out, "Kohta…Stand the fuck down! You know what's at stake here!"

"But he…" Kohta stammered.

"I said stand down, Kohta," Lucy insisted coldly as she stood up, blood oozing from the corner of her mouth. "This is not the place for this pissing contest! After we get Calidor, then you can rip him to pieces if you like. BUT NOT NOW!"

"Better do as your freak bitch of a girlfriend says if you want to live for the next few minutes," Bandoh warned. "Calidor's herald is coming as I speak. It's someone I think you'll recognize, you fucking bitch."

Bandoh pointed down the valley toward the castle. The sea of fury-crazed diclonii in that area parted, showing a small diclonius girl coming toward them with an army of her own. Lucy looked and her eyes grew wide as she both recognized and felt Mariko's approach. "Mariko," Lucy hissed, remembering her last encounter with Mariko at the shrine.

"I knew you'd recognize your own fucking kind," Bandoh growled. Turning to Mariko as she approached, he said, "I've done my part, bitch. Now it's time for you to do your part."

"You made a deal?" Kohta asked, floored by the realization that Bandoh had so convincingly deceived him and seemingly made a deal with Calidor.

"And why is that so difficult to understand, you stupid prick?" Bandoh snorted. "I look out for only one person and that's me. It's been that way since I was born. The only person I can rely on is me and no one else. You should've killed me when you had the chance."

"I'll get you for this," Kohta raged. "I swear it, even if I have to come back from the dead to do it."

Bandoh slammed Kohta with his vectors, knocking the wind out of him. "Your threats mean nothing to someone who is already dead. Now I'll have my revenge on you for killing me that first time. Mariko, take this shit and his bitch girlfriend to Calidor."

Mariko stared at Lucy, locking eyes with her. For the first time since their battle at the shrine, Mariko understood who and what Lucy was. She nodded and winked at Lucy with a devilish grin on her face. Lucy nodded solemnly, saying, "Take us to your master, Mariko."

"My pleasure," Mariko chimed. "But first we have some unfinished business to attend to." Without warning or provocation, Mariko launched a vector sneak attack on Bandoh, knocking him out and disabling his vectors. Turning to Lucy, Mariko said, "Your powers are much greater now than the last time we danced. But they will not help you. You cannot stop the unstoppable, indomitable darkness that is Calidor."

"We shall see," Lucy replied coldly. "Are you with me?"

Mariko winked at Lucy while sporting a sinister grin. "We diclonius are so unpredictable and untrustworthy. You never know exactly where our allegiances lie or what we'll do when cornered. You know what needs to be done. Don't fuck it up."

"What is she talking about?" Kohta asked, feeling completely in the dark about the conversation.

"Shut up, Kohta," Lucy snapped. "Everything will become clear when they take us to Calidor." Turning to Mariko, she ordered, "Do it, Mariko, and make sure to bring Bandoh."

"As if you need to tell me what to do," Mariko chimed wickedly. "Hold still, human…this will only hurt for a moment." Before Kohta could ask what she meant, Mariko knocked Kohta and Lucy out with a quick punch from her vectors. Lucy and Kohta collapsed without a moan. Mariko then called out, "The Queen is ours! Let's take her and her consort to Lord Calidor so they may merge with us!" A roar of triumph rose from the sea of fury-crazed diclonius souls surrounding her. Mariko snatched Lucy and Kohta up with her vectors. "Grab the turncoat," she ordered one of her handpicked diclonius soldiers. "…and bring him so he may taste the wrath of Calidor's vengeance. No one turns on the Dark Lord and gets away with it." A soldier picked Bandoh up and followed Mariko as she carried Lucy and Kohta unconscious into the heart of darkness within Castle Nielfheim.

Back on the Chimera, Sen and Fargo sat in the infirmary with Mayu, Myra, and Nana, keeping them company. Nana's eyes grew wide as she felt Lucy seemingly slip away. "Oh no," she moaned. "Lucy has been captured! All is lost!"

"All is not lost," Fargo corrected. "Lucy has allowed herself and Kohta to be captured so they can get close enough to Calidor to deal with him. You must have faith in her and Kohta. They will set things right."

"The Captain is right," Myra agreed. "You must have faith in them. They didn't come all this way to trip at the finish line."

"I believe in them," Mayu stated, holding on to Nana. "Izanami will not allow them to fail."

"I feel so helpless," Nana whimpered. "We must do something to help her."

"But what can we do?" Sen asked. "She insisted that we stay on board the Chimera to protect you, Mayu, and Myra. If we go after them, then we betray their trust and jeopardize their plan to take down the King. We must do as she says and stay here."

"Sen is right," Fargo stated. "To try and help by going after them will just cause an unwanted distraction that may prove fatal to us all. We must stay put and pray to Izanami that they succeed."

As he spoke, Myra noticed a browning of the lights in the infirmary as a feeling of doom swept over her like a tsunami. "Uhhh, guys…do you feel that?" she asked.

"Feel what?" Fargo asked.

"I've been at war many times and my instincts seldom fail me," Myra stated. "I think we are about to have company of a hostile nature."

Nana checked her diclonius telepathy and felt a wave of darkness reaching out for them. Her face went pale as she cried, "Oh no, it's him! The King has come for us!"

"Impossible," Fargo retorted. "This ship is impregnable. There's no way he can breech our shields."

The lights in the infirmary began to flicker wildly as a raspy voice came across the intercom, saying, "Not impossible, you foolish diclonius germ. Your technology means nothing to one who has swallowed entire worlds. The bitch queen's family and friends are mine."

Fargo rushed to the console and pressed the alarm. The alarm wailed as Fargo shouted furiously into the microphone, "Intruder alert! Intruder in the infirmary…all hands to…"

The microphone exploded, throwing Fargo back ten feet, and burning his face and hand. Sen caught him before he smacked his head against a table. "Too late, you stupid prick. Now you'll share their fate," the voice growled. "It's time for you to join your queen in the heart darkness." Every active light and computer display in the infirmary flashed and exploded, plunging the infirmary in to darkness. Mayu, Nana, and Myra shrieked while Fargo and Sen cried out in fear in the stygian blackness before the darkness swallowed them whole.

Fifteen seconds later, the door opened to the infirmary and Dr. Ravenclaw, Jericho, and Captain Guildo rushed in with a security team five other diclonius crewmembers, shining flashlights around the darkened infirmary searching for Fargo, Sen, Myra, Nana, and Mayu. "Fargo!" Guildo called out urgently as they walked into a pall of sulfurous smoke that made them choke. "Captain Fargo!"

Ten seconds later, the emergency lighting came up, bathing the infirmary in a hellish red glow. The pall of yellow sulfurous smoke dissipated in the light revealing the entire infirmary wrecked with Fargo, Sen, Mayu, Nana, and Myra nowhere to be found.

When Guildo didn't see them, he barked, "Search the infirmary! Find Captain Fargo and our friends now!" The security team searched the infirmary top to bottom, finding no trace of Fargo and those who were with him.

"They're gone," Jericho breathed in horror. "They just vanished without a trace. How can this be? How can they just vanish?"

"I don't know," Guildo stated grimly. "But at this point, we can't rule out anything. Jericho…set up teams, and search this ship from bow to stern. We must first confirm that they are not somewhere on board. Also, be on guard because Fargo's last message suggested that we had an intruder on board the ship. He, she, or it may still be here. Go."

"Aye sir," Jericho replied with a snap salute. He and the security team left as Guildo and Ravenclaw continued to search for clues. "This is not good," Guildo stated. "I fear the King may be responsible for this disappearance."

"You may be right," Ravenclaw agreed. "Just before the Captain sounded the alarm, I felt this overpowering darkness overshadow me. But it was not after me. It was after Lucy's family. Of this, I am certain. What should we do if we find out that Fargo and Lucy's family are no longer on the ship?"

"I don't know," Guildo stated bluntly. "My first instinct is to go after them. But Lucy made it perfectly clear that we are not to come after her under any circumstances. At this point, we must think of the rest of the people on this ship. Their safety is our primary concern."

"That's a bit cold, don't you think?" Ravenclaw retorted. "Couldn't we send a small contingent to warn her?"

"No option is being dismissed at this point," Guildo answered. "But let's first find out if they're still on the ship before we make any other decisions."

"That seems logical to me," Ravenclaw stated. "I sincerely hope we find them on the ship. The alternative is too gruesome for me to even consider at this point."

"Me too, Doctor," Guildo stated. "Me too. You should check on your other patients to see if they're still here too."

"I'm on it," Ravenclaw replied, heading out to another section of the infirmary where his other patients were being treated.

Guildo felt a deep, dismal fear settle into the bottom of his heart. "I hope they're all right, wherever they are," he murmured before heading out to secure the ship.

Back in the throne room of Castle Nielfheim, Calidor surveyed his catch: Fargo, Sen, Nana, Mayu, and Myra. He smiled wickedly at his prisoners as he encased each of them in a crystalline pillar up to their chests with their arms buried in the crystals. These new crystals sat in a semicircle on the opposite side of the throne room from where Rayden and Yuka remained imprisoned in their crystal pillars. "Each player is in position and the curtain is about to rise," Calidor crowed. "Now the game can truly begin."

Fargo came to first and found himself immobilized within the crystal up to his chest. He also instantly realized the crystal dampened his diclonius power, rendering his vectors inoperative. "What…where are we? Who are you and what have you done with my friends?" Fargo demanded.

Calidor turned and slapped Fargo with a vector, drawing blood. "Don't take that tone with me, diclonius pest. I devour souls like yours every day, draining their life and power, adding it to my own."

Fargo's complexion paled as he realized to whom he was speaking. The evil oozing out of Calidor revolted Fargo's clear mind. "Oh my god…you're the one at the root of this madness! You're Calidor!"

"And the germ wins the kewpie doll," Calidor crowed. "Welcome to the Fury, Washi Chen Fargo. You and your compatriots there will have the distinct pleasure of being the last living souls I destroy after I suck the Queen and her pestilent consort dry of their power and destroy this pathetic mud ball of a planet. Now be silent. I cannot have you warning the Queen and her pestilent human consort of the reception I have planned for them." Calidor clipped Fargo with a vector, knocking him unconscious. Calidor looked over at Rayden and Yuka, seeing them still unconscious from his telepathic hammer hit earlier. "Excellent…That bitch queen will never know what hit her." He flitted off into the shadows with his maniacal laughter echoing throughout the castle.


	37. Chapter 37 Requiem of Annihilation

Chapter 37

Requiem of Annihilation

An undetermined time after Mariko knocked him and Lucy unconscious outside Castle Nielfheim, Kohta moaned. The sound of his voice drove the darkness swirling around in his brain away. The darkness became lighter until his eyes fluttered and opened. Everything was blurry. He blinked and tried to move his arms, finding them frozen in place. His legs wouldn't move either. Both felt like they were encased in something. But his head and neck remained free. "What's going on?" he muttered, blinking repeatedly as his eyesight slowly returned. When his sight solidified, he saw the reason he couldn't move: a crystal encased him up to his belly and up to his elbows on his arms, effectively imprisoning him so he could not move or thrash around. "Oh shit," he cursed. "This is not good." As he looked around, he saw Lucy partially embedded in a crystalline slab ten meters tall, five meters wide, and three meters thick standing upright. Her arms and legs were stretched spread-eagle and buried in the crystal up to her thighs on her legs and up above her elbows on her arms. What appeared to be a crystalline strap crossed her belly and a second strap around her neck kept her head pulled back against the crystal block that held her prisoner.

"Lucy!" Kohta called out, infuriated by seeing Lucy imprisoned in such a manner. "Lucy!"

"What, Kohta," Lucy replied calmly.

"Are you all right?" Kohta asked.

"Yes," Lucy answered stoically. "But you'd better take a look around for we're in a world of shit here."

Kohta slowly looked around, instantly seeing Calidor's throne room with a throne of diclonius skulls on a dais. A pang of fear took him as he panned his vision around. He saw five other prisoners encased the same way he was to his left. When he focused on them, his heart crashed into his shoes. "Oh no," Kohta moaned. "He's got our family, Lucy."

"I know," Lucy stated, her tone cold as the crystal that imprisoned her. "He also has Yuka and Rayden in the pillars to your right."

Kohta looked to his right and his heart became a raging fire of vengeance when he saw Yuka's frozen form in the pillar. "Yuka! God damn him!" Kohta roared furiously, thrashing trying to free himself in vain. But when he saw Rayden, his emotional outburst leveled off. "Holy shit," Kohta breathed. "That's really Izanami's brother, Rayden. He really exists." Just seeing Izanami's brother imprisoned in the crystal had a strange calming effect on him. His mind became supremely focused as he sensed the father of the present diclonius race encased in the crystal before him. Then he could feel Yuka within her tomb, still alive with her heart still beating.

"Are you all right, Kohta," Lucy asked, sensing the abrupt change in his emotions.

"I will be," Kohta growled. "But what are we going to do? I hope this is part of your plan."

"Trust me," Lucy answered. "We're now where we need to be. There are just two players not yet in position. When they get into place, we will tear this place apart!"

"Not likely, my dear," Calidor called out as he entered the throne room. "You have no choice but to succumb to my will now, as all beings who defy the will of the Chaos Lords must succumb. It's inevitable. It's your destiny."

Lucy cast a hateful glare towards Calidor, but remained silent. Kohta felt his diclonius fury burn at Calidor's approach and wished to unleash it on him. Calidor felt his anger, but oddly not his diclonius power. Chuckling, Calidor walked over to Kohta and hissed, "Oh my…the human insect is angry. Good. I can use that anger. It's such a savory treat."

"Don't you touch him," Lucy roared.

"And what are you going to do about it, bitch?" Calidor retorted, smashing his clenched fist into Kohta's jaw, drawing blood just to see Lucy's reaction. "This little pest is like a cockroach. Every time I think I've killed him, he pops back up stronger than ever. I wonder why that is." Calidor turned and stood nose to nose with Kohta, grabbing him roughly by the jaw. "Tell me, human germ. Why couldn't I turn or kill you like the rest of your pathetic species? What makes you different from the rest of your pestilent race?"

Blood oozed from Kohta's mouth as he stared into the abyss behind Calidor's eyes. A sinister smile crossed Kohta's face as he remembered the night on the beach with Bandoh after he thought Lucy had been killed. He remembered pushing his head to the barrel of Bandoh's .50 caliber pistol, not caring if he lived or died. "Oh wouldn't you like to know, monster," Kohta hissed. With that, Kohta spit his blood in Calidor's face, enraging him.

Calidor pummeled Kohta mercilessly with his fist in the face a dozen times until Kohta slumped, stunned and bleeding with one eye swelling shut. Yet during the punishment, Lucy uttered not a sound and all Kohta did was grunt in pain at the hits. "You're a strong one, human germ," Calidor growled. "I'll give you that much. But I am puzzled why your precious Queen doesn't call out in concern. She cares for you, doesn't she?"

Kohta leaned his head up and looked with his good eye at Calidor. "That she does, as she does for every soul on this planet. I've taught her the value of life. But she knows that begging for my life will not save me. As soon as you're finished playing this sadistic game with us, we're as good as dead, so why give you the pleasure?"

Calidor scowled, and then laughed. "You're damned smart for an insect. You are so right. But I must admit, you've gained my respect, human germ. You do not beg for mercy or expect it, even in the face of death itself. You face your destiny as well as any warrior I've seen from across this universe. But don't think this changes anything. I am still going to kill you very slowly and painfully for your defiance of me. Here you will find endless torments of infinite styles and types. In fact, I have a present for both of you…something I would expect you'll enjoy before I destroy you; a demonstration of what awaits you at my hand. Mariko…bring in the traitor."

Mariko brought in Bandoh and threw him at Calidor's feet. "Here's the prick. I caught him completely off guard and knocked him out, the stupid fuck."

Calidor looked at Mariko crossly with a sour look. "Didn't I tell you to destroy him if you found him?"

"You did," Mariko replied cautiously. "But I thought you would like the pleasure of destroying him in person since I captured him so easily."

"You were right to think that," Calidor admitted. "Consuming this rotting soul will be a pleasure. But you defied me…" Calidor lashed out and snared Mariko with twenty vectors, cocooning them around her as he picked her up.

"But I thought…" Mariko cried out in desperation.

"You're not here to think, germ," Calidor hissed venomously. "You're here by my good graces. Otherwise, I would have made you part of my fortress the moment you perished. But now you have sealed your doom."

Mariko's rage over Calidor's control of her boiled over. She tilted her head down and glared at him, "Fuck you, you steaming pile of alien dog shit! I hope you choke on me!"

"I think not, germ," Calidor returned ominously. "You thought to betray me, didn't you, bitch? Well, that is the last time you will ever think anything. Even the dead can die. Give my regards to Oblivion." Turning his head to Lucy and Kohta, he said, "Now watch and see how a god delivers his vengeance on sinners."

Calidor abruptly grew from two meters to over six meters in height and thirteen meters in length. His body rippled and morphed from a humanoid shape to that of a giant reptilian titan with ten arms and thousands of vectors. The monster's chest alone spanned more than two meters across and stretched four in length. His head elongated to two and a half meters in length and six more eyes appeared on his skull, giving him a rather arachnid type of appearance. Eight-inch razor sharp teeth filled his crocodilian mouth. A massive tail six meters long balanced the monster's torso and head. The innumerable vectors sprouting from his back made him look like a giant mutated reptilian porcupine. Lucy and Kohta shuddered as they saw Calidor's true form as a Chaos Lord. Calidor's vector cocoon swallowed Mariko as she shrieked. Seconds later, the cocoon collapsed with a sickening crunch, cutting Mariko's cry brutally short. Blood gushed out around the vector tentacles. Calidor's demoniac laughter echoed throughout the castle as he opened his vector cocoon for Lucy and Kohta to see his handiwork. Mariko's pulverized body floated toward Calidor's drooling maw, dangling on a single vector. Lucy gasped, seeing that Mariko was still breathing.

"Oh god no," Kohta moaned, once again feeling completely helpless just like when he saw Lucy kill Kanae and his father. "Not again. I can't see this shit again!"

"Don't worry, human germ," Calidor rumbled. "You will soon join this diclonius bitch in the oblivion of Chaos! Now watch as I consume her soul!"

Calidor opened wide his maw, dangling the broken form of Mariko above it, savoring the terror and blood dripping from Mariko's broken spirit. Without warning, a dark vector came out of nowhere, slicing off Calidor's massive left leg at the knee. Half a second later, a huge shard of crystal thirty feet long exploded out of the floor, impaling him through his reptilian armor. Calidor howled in agony, throwing Mariko to the side, looking around for who had dared to attack him in his own sanctuary while holding himself up with a four of his vectors. His eight eyes scanned the throne room until he saw Bandoh standing there with an evil gleam in his eye and a sinister grin, holding Mariko's crushed form in a single vector. To his left stood Dark Lucy with her black blade drawn, and to his right side stood Nyu with her white katana bared ready for action. Kaeda squatted next to Nyu with her hands flat on the throne room floor; her eyes blazing white with power and anger at Calidor's brutality, seemingly having caused the floor itself to rise against Calidor. Nyu looked on in horror at the true form of Calidor. Dark Lucy scowled, more than ready to fight.

"Didn't see that one coming, did you, you fucking prick?" Bandoh cackled. He let Mariko's body down next to Kohta and hissed, "Okay Kohta, now we see whether you and Lucy are everything they say you are."

Calidor suddenly broke into laughter as he reattached his severed limb with his vectors while lifting himself off the crystal shard. "Well, played, you traitorous prick," he admitted as the massive hole in his chest filled in, healing in a matter of seconds. Everyone watched in dismay at Calidor's amazing healing ability. "But you're a mortal fighting against a god," Calidor snarled. "I'll crush you all with one blow." Calidor's vectors rolled together, becoming a giant war hammer three meters across that descended upon Bandoh and those around him.

Bandoh, Kaeda, Nyu, and Dark Lucy counterattacked with everything they had, launching a massive vector assault that stopped the war hammer cold before it crushed him, Kohta, Mariko, Kaeda, Nyu, and Dark Lucy.

"What?" Calidor roared, stunned that Bandoh, Dark Lucy, Nyu, and Kaeda could stop his attack. "This is impossible!"

"Wait until you see our next trick, you demon fuck. It's a killer," Bandoh replied wickedly from beneath the hammer. A second later, Nyu's bright vectors severed the war hammer's handle while Bandoh, Dark Lucy, and Kaeda pushed the hammer back, smashing Calidor in the face with it before he could react. Calidor staggered back and collapsed on the dais, crushing his throne of skulls. He screamed in rage and pain as he tried to stand up. Bandoh then looked around at the prisoners encased in the crystals. In the blink of an eye, he lashed out with his vectors, freeing Lucy and Kohta first. "Sorry for the deception," he growled. "But it was necessary to catch this beast with his guard down. Now get the fuck on the line. We've a monster to destroy."

Lucy and Kohta glared at him, and then briefly turned to Mariko. Lucy loosed a single vector, saying, "Join me, Mariko, so we may finish this monster forever." Mariko choked, blood gushing from her mouth and managed a slight nod. Lucy then plunged her vector into Mariko's form. Mariko's battered form became a luminous vapor that fed into Lucy's vector. Tears filled Lucy's eyes as Mariko incorporated into Lucy.

"Is it time, Lucy?" Kohta asked. "Can we now show this monster what we're made of?"

"Yes," Lucy growled, feeling the impending fury explosion from absorbing Mariko. "Get down," she ordered, turning to Calidor as he stood up. His vectors reached out and reintegrated the hammer into his arsenal.

Kohta grabbed Bandoh and pulled him down. "Remember the beach," Kohta said urgently to Bandoh, who instantly understood.

"You have sealed your doom," Calidor roared, his spittle spraying everywhere.

"No, you have," Lucy retorted, stepping forward with her left foot and stomping it. At the same moment, Lucy released Mariko's Fury, aimed directly at Calidor with a primal scream. The scream reminded Kohta of the myths about banshees with a scream that could kill. The energy wave plowed into him before he could think, throwing him against the wall with a thunderous crash. The hit briefly stunned him. "Now to free our friends and family!" Lucy shouted. In the blink of an eye, she effortlessly shattered the crystal prisons of Fargo, Sen, Myra, Mayu, and Nana with her vectors. Lucy, Kohta, and Bandoh rushed to them while Calidor found his wits. "Fargo…you, Sen and Nana take Myra and Mayu out of here while we get Yuka and Rayden," Lucy ordered.

"The song," Mayu called out urgently. "You must use Kohta's song against the monster. It's his only weakness."

Calidor's roar shook the castle as he stood up. "No one defies me!" he shrieked. "And no one escapes my domain! I'll crush you all into dust!"

"Quickly, get behind us," Lucy ordered Mayu , Myra, and Sen. They fell in behind Lucy, Kohta, Bandoh, and Fargo while they backed toward Yuka and Rayden.

"You think you can get away from me?" Calidor taunted. "This whole structure obeys my very will. Every stone is a member of your wretched kind and they serve me."

Mayu suddenly began singing the Lilium as loud as she could. Myra, Sen, and Fargo immediately joined in. The sound of the Lilium rising from living souls tore through Calidor like a microwave cannon, setting his body on fire.

"Shut the fuck up!" Calidor shrieked in searing pain, slamming his vector war hammer on the floor to drown out the song. The ringing hit on the floor sent blood splattering everywhere, soaking Lucy and those she protected. It also shook the throne room so violently everyone fell to the floor while they held their ears to stop the noise.

Happy with his attack, Calidor launched his vectors before they could regroup, snaring all of them instantly. He held Lucy up in front of his enormous face and hissed, "Did you really think that you could kill the likes of me, bitch? I am FOREVER! You're just a scared little girl who thinks she's something that she's not. I'll tell you what. You can watch as I devour your friends. I'll even give you a front row seat so you can see their terror and pain as I chew them to tiny bits!"

A wry, knowing smile crossed Lucy's lips. "You have no idea who the fuck you are messing with, you fuck-faced, drooling pile of alien shit! Your ass is now mine! Now Kohta!"

"Surprise!" Kohta shouted, revealing his full power level while at the same time loosing twenty vectors that easily shredded the vectors with which Calidor held them prisoner. He then caught everyone except Lucy with those same vectors while two of his vectors reached out, targeting Yuka's and Rayden's crystal prisons. His concentrated punches shattered the prisons. The entire fortress rumbled as Rayden's pillar collapsed. Having secured his friends, he jumped back away from Calidor and Lucy.

At the same moment, Lucy revealed her full essence to the monster, and her full power. Dark Lucy, Kaeda, and Nyu appeared, surrounding Calidor. When Calidor saw Dark Lucy, Kaeda, and Nyu appear again, and then sensed the power levels of Lucy and Kohta combined, he cried, "What the fuck? How did you…."

He didn't get a chance to finish his thought. Lucy released a concentrated vector attack with a roar that blasted a six-foot hole through his chest within a half second of release. Dark Lucy, Kaeda, and Nyu attacked simultaneously from their positions, adding their power to Lucy's attack. Kaeda and Nyu blew off off three of Calidor's arms and Dark Lucy formed her vectors into a massive spear that struck Calidor under his chin and exploded out of the top of his head. Calidor's black blood and flesh exploded out of his back and head as he again flew across the throne room, smashing against the wall. "Get up from that, you fucking piece of alien shit," Dark Lucy cackled maniacally.

As Lucy floated down, she roared, "I am not the scared little girl you tried to turn. I am the Queen of all the Diclonius Dragons of Heaven and Earth! I decide who lives and who dies. I command the Collective, and every diclonius soul in it! Their souls are mine. This is my domain now, not yours, and you are so fucking dead. Rayden, come here." She snatched Rayden from his cell with her vectors and set him down in front of her.

He looked at her with tears in his eyes. "I knew you would come, my Queen," Rayden said with great gratitude, bowing on one knee before her. "I am eternally grateful for your rescue."

"Can it, Rayden," Lucy snapped as Kaeda, Dark Lucy, and Nyu surrounded her. "We need to finish Calidor off. Are you with me?"

"I am," Rayden declared, "…and so is every diclonius who Calidor poisoned. Your presence in this darkness combined with the song is driving the Fury from us, so let us put Calidor back into his hole so that he never can return. Sing, my children of the Fury, sing that we may free ourselves of Calidor's poisonous influence forever!" Diclonius souls imprisoned by Calidor began coming out of the walls and floor, singing the Lilium.

Lucy smiled and called out, "Show yourself, Izanami! Sing the Requiem of Annihilation that we may destroy Calidor's evil!"

Izanami appeared with Akira, Jin, and countless diclonius souls from Izanami's side of the Collective. They began singing the Lilium in concert with those who followed Rayden. Nyu and Kaeda began singing along with them, with Nyu having the most power with her singing.

"No, this is not possible!" Calidor shrieked, rising to his feet. Sulfurous smoke poured from the wounds as his vectors worked to close massive holes in his frame, to Lucy's dismay. Yet the harmony of Lilium slowed his healing. "I am so close!" he roared. "These insects will not defeat me! They cannot defeat me! Come to my aid, my children, and feast on these pestilent human germs! Crush their bones and swallow their souls!"

They watched Calidor stand up and stomp the floor. It split open in a crack five meters across and fifty meters long. A yellow smoke rose from the chasm as a horde of giant demoniac insects flooded of evil out of the nether regions of the fortress. "Destroy them all!" Calidor roared.

Lucy's face turned as cold as stone, unfazed by the appearance of giant spiders, ants, and tentacle beasts resembling armored octopi. "Kohta," she snapped. "It's time to rumble."

Kohta's face flushed with adrenaline; the fever and bloodlust of the fury of battle having settled firmly on him. "Let's do this," he hissed.

"Kaeda, Nyu, Fury…to me," Lucy ordered. Kaeda and Nyu nodded, patting Lucy on the shoulder. They became luminous apparitions that merged with Lucy in an instant.

Dark Lucy looked Lucy in the eye. "Let's kill this son of a bitch forever."

"I intend to," Lucy growled viciously. Dark Lucy smiled wickedly and followed Kaeda and Nyu's example, becoming a ghostly apparition that merged with Lucy.

She concentrated and the Sword of the Collective appeared in her hand. Kohta slapped his hands together and Mamoru's sword appeared in his hand. He unsheathed the blade, ready to go to war as the insect horde advanced. Suddenly in the midst of the singing and shrieks of monsters, inspiration hit him. Darting to Lucy, who was ready to war for her family, and friends, he said, "We need to use the power of the Collective to finish this right now. Let's link and focus all of our power in one concentrated burst."

"Let's do it," Lucy agreed. "Everyone get down!" Everyone backing Lucy and Kohta dove for cover as she and Kohta launched themselves like missiles into the heart of the infernal horde right at Calidor's feet, jumping nearly one hundred and fifty meters using their vectors. While in midair, Lucy and Kohta clanged their swords together in midair as they each sent a hundred vectors into each other, locking themselves together with those vectors. The blades blazed brilliant white as Lucy and Kohta came down into the center of the alien horde, striking down simultaneously at Calidor. The pair became a blazing ball of white light descending like a meteor on Calidor and his infernal children. When Lucy and Kohta landed, the ball of burning white fire pulsed out in a thunderous blazing shockwave that destroyed Castle Nielfheim around them, along with every infernal beast Calidor called out of his pit in an explosion seen from space. Calidor shrieked in primal agony, having been thrown through multiple walls by the sheer power of the strike. The white fire freed every diclonius souls still imprisoned within Calidor's fortress and purged the Fury from their souls without destroying them. The shockwave from the blast spread across the island, burning the Fury from every soul it encountered and setting them free. The darkness associated with the Fury dissipated in an ever-expanding ring of blue sky starting at the fortress. Within minutes, the shockwave from the blast covered the island, and then proceeded to circle the globe, burning the Fury from anyone, human or diclonius, who had been infected with Calidor's poison. The frenzied killings around the world caused by Calidor's poisonous Fury came to a stop as the shockwave passed over the infected humans and diclonius locked in the homicidal, suicidal madness of Calidor's fury. Izanami, Akira, and Rayden shielded Lucy and Kohta's family and friends from the blast, keeping the debris from crushing them.

On the other side of the island at the Shrine of the Dragon Emperor, the Dragon Emperor looked towards Castle Nielfheim with Tao, Li Mei, Tanya, Charlene, Saito, Elle, Oshida Saros, Hishiro, Chizu, and Kyoko. The entire island shook violently as they watched a massive mushroom cloud rise into the sky to their west with a rapidly expanding circle of blue sky spreading from the center of the blast. Ash rained down on them as the Dragon Emperor grunted with satisfaction. "Castle Nielfheim is no more," he rumbled. "Calidor's power has been broken. Come, my friends. Let's go to them."

"Is Lucy still alive?" Oshida asked nervously, worried about his daughter.

"Yes," the Dragon Emperor replied. "The Queen lives."

"How are we going to get there?" Tao asked.

"I shall transport you to them so you all may see Calidor's end," the Dragon Emperor stated. "Gather around me." Everyone gathered around the Dragon Emperor and he roared. A ball of light swallowed them all. When it vanished, the group was gone.

Back at the ruins of Calidor's fortress, Rayden rose first after the fiery apocalypse unleashed by Lucy and Kohta. He looked around at the devastation. The fortress Nielfheim was nothing but a pile of rubble with a huge crater where Lucy and Kohta had struck at Calidor. Smoke drifted through the air while ash rained down on him. Hundreds of thousands of diclonius souls imprisoned by Calidor slowly rose out of the rubble, gathering around him and the other survivors of the blast, silently watching. Fargo, Sen, and Nana had managed to keep Mayu and Myra safe from the blast by shielding them with their bodies while Izanami, Rayden, and Akira covered them all with an impenetrable vector shield when the blast occurred.

Bandoh rose from the rubble to Rayden's left, pushing the rock off of him. "Son of a bitch!" he cursed, looking around at the ruined fortress. "They leveled the fortress! I didn't think they had it in them."

Rayden ignored Bandoh's comment, continuing to scan the ruins. Then his eye fell upon Yuka, who lay on the ground with Izanami and Akira hovering over her. He rushed to Yuka's side with the myriad of freed diclonius souls silently parting to let their father pass. "Yuka," he cried with concern, falling to his knees next to her.

Yuka looked up with weak eyes. "Rayden," she said. "Thank you."

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I am now," Yuka whispered. "But I don't know if I am alive or dead. Did Kohta come for me?"

"He most assuredly did," Izanami chimed, stroking Yuka's hair. "Your nightmare is almost over."

"Where's Kohta," Yuka asked.

"I don't know," Rayden replied. "We lost sight of them when they attacked Calidor the last time."

"Please find him," Yuka begged.

"I will find him, my precious angel," Rayden declared. He rose and looked down at Izanami with deep sorrow and regret. "Can you ever forgive me, sis?"

Izanami smiled warmly, "Yes, Rayden. I did long ago. Now go find Lucy and Kohta."

Rayden felt a huge weight lift off him as he sprinted out into the battlefield. Twenty steps away from Yuka, he skidded to a halt as a glowing ball appeared between him and the crater where Lucy and Kohta made their last stand. The army of diclonius souls bristled, moving to protect Fargo, Yuka, Sen, Mayu, and Myra. Even Bandoh stepped into a defensive stance. "Hold!" Rayden shouted, raising his hand in a wait gesture as figures appeared in the ball of light.

Seconds later, the Dragon Emperor appeared with his charges. The diclonius horde murmured fearfully as the Dragon Emperor scanned the area. Seeing Rayden in a defensive position with a sea of his kind backing him up, the Dragon Emperor called out, "Peace be unto you, Rayden Seiyuchin. We come in peace."

"So you say," Rayden replied harshly. "Who are you and what are you doing here? Do you mean harm to our Queen or her family and friends?"

"I am Ryu-Wo-Chin, guardian of the Nexus," the Dragon Emperor rumbled. "I have brought Queen Lucy's friends so they may see Calidor's final disposition."

Rayden's eyes grew wide. "The Dragon Emperor…you're the Dragon Emperor who was a myth in my time!" Rayden bowed before the ancient dragon. "I am honored you show yourself to me after all the evil I caused. Why would you do such a thing?"

"Because you were not responsible for the evil," the Dragon Emperor replied. "You were merely a victim of a plot by the Chaos Lords. But now the Queen is setting things right. Go to her. She and her consort are still alive over there." He pointed towards the crater. "Go…the angel Yuka must see her cousin before she can return to her body."

Rayden bowed again and called out, "These are friends, my children. Do not fear them." He then took off toward the crater. Tao, Li Mei, and Charlene quickly followed. Bandoh hesitated for a moment, and then followed.

As he moved towards the crater, Rayden saw Fargo, Sen, and Nana bringing Mayu and Myra to Yuka through the ruins. He cautiously moved toward ground zero of Lucy and Kohta's strike, fearing the worst. A rattle of falling stones alerted him near the edge of the crater left from Lucy and Kohta's attack. Rayden tensed and readied for an enemy. He held out his hands, saying, "Wait a minute, my children." Tao, Li Mei, Bandoh, and Charlene stopped. "Keep me covered," Rayden ordered.

"Yes sir," Tao answered quickly. Li Mei and Charlene nodded as Rayden edged forward. Bandoh slowly moved forward on Rayden's right, keeping a close eye on the area.

But within half a second, Rayden sensed Lucy and Kohta approaching and rushed to them. He saw them through the smoke, clambering through the debris, holding each other up, their blades still in hand. They were battered, bloody, and streaked with soot. Kohta had three large claw marks diagonally across his face with his left eye burst. "Oh thank the gods!" Rayden cried in great relief. "For a moment there I thought you were an enemy." Bandoh saw Kohta's condition and marveled. A smile crossed Bandoh's face as Rayden rushed forward to help.

"Not unless you want us to be," Kohta answered in a weary but playful tone, pain evident in his voice.

"Did you kill Calidor?" Rayden asked, coming to their assistance.

"I think so," Lucy replied wearily. "Nothing could have survived that blast. I had no idea we diclonius harbored such power."

"Well, we do," Rayden informed. "That is why Calidor was so intent on capturing all of us. With our power, he could have conquered the known universe."

"I am well aware of that," Lucy admitted as they clambered out of the crater. Tao, Li Mei, and Charlene rushed to them.

Bandoh walked up, still scanning the ruins with growing unease. "I won't believe Calidor's dead until I see his corpse."

"You would," Kohta snapped.

Charlene went to Kohta and helped him. "Here, let me help," she said, letting him lean on her.

"Thanks," Kohta muttered, blood running out of his burst eye socket.

"Are you all right, Lucy?" Li Mei asked.

Lucy nodded. "I've been better." They talked softly as they walked back toward Yuka and the others. Half way back to them, a rumble echoed through the smoking ruins. The freed diclonius souls closed ranks, surrounding Lucy's family and friends in a protective manner as the ground began to shake.

"God damned," Kohta growled. "What now?"

"On your guard!" the Dragon Emperor warned. "The Chaos Lord isn't finished yet!"

They turned around just in time to see Calidor spring out of the rubble, pouncing on them like a giant cat. He grabbed Lucy and Kohta with his bare hands while snaring Bandoh, Charlene, Li Mei, Tao, and Rayden at the same time with his vector hands, slamming them to the ground with a roar. "Rayden!" Izanami screamed. "Lucy, Kohta, no!"

Oshida saw Calidor pounce on Lucy and his blood boiled with wrath. He picked up a rock and charged Calidor before anyone could stop him. "Someone stop him!" Saito cried out.

"Let him go," the Dragon Emperor rumbled. "This too is part of his destiny."

"You leave my daughter alone, monster!" Oshida shrieked. When he came close enough hit the Chaos Lord, he lobbed his rock, smacking Calidor right in the eye.

Calidor looked up at Oshida with the hate of a demon. A single vector shot out, solidifying into a spike a foot in diameter, impaling Oshida through the belly, severing his lower spine. Oshida screamed in mortal agony as Calidor picked him up with the vector and brought him in close. "Foolish human scum," Calidor growled. "You have killed yourself with your stupid attack on me." He brought Oshida around so Lucy could see him dangling from his vector. Blood gushed from Oshida's mouth as he grabbed at the vector stuck through his midsection. Lucy's eyes grew wide and anger rose in her.

"You are so dead," she snarled. "That's my dad, you god damned monster!"

Calidor snarled, drooling blood particularly on Lucy. "Is that so? Well, it seems that I've found a soft spot. I know what I'll do. I'll eat him while you watch!"

"No!" Kohta cried out.

Calidor cranked down on Kohta, choking him until he gasped for breath. "Shut up, pest. You're next!" Turning to Lucy, Calidor smiled wickedly, cackling "Say goodbye to dear old dad!"

"I hope you choke on me, beast," Oshida gurgled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a grenade that he had stolen just before he came to the Shrine of the Dragon Emperor.

"Time to die, human germ," Calidor snarled at Oshida. He snapped at Oshida, ripping him in two at the waist. Oshida's legs fell to the ground next to Lucy, who stared in absolute horror and rage at Calidor as he slowly chewed her father to bits, allowing his blood and pieces of flesh to drench her. A small metal ring with a pin dropped on Lucy's chest with one of Oshida's fingers; something that didn't escape her notice. With a gulp, Oshida was gone and Calidor leaned down, drooling blood in her face. "What a tasty morsel. His soul was truly rotten to the core," he taunted. Then his tone became icy as a glacier when he roared, "There is nothing you can do to stop me. No power on this planet can kill me. Worlds without end have fallen to me. I am the end of all things. All things revert to Chaos. It is the way of the multiverse. I have eaten your father, and now I eat you and consume your power!"

Lucy glared back at Calidor, her fury holding no bounds. "The only one dying here is you. I destroy your body and your fucking soul will go back to that dark prison where it belongs. Sing the Requiem for Calidor, everyone! Sing it!" Lucy began singing the Lilium with all her soul. Those souls witness to the sneak attack joined in, following Izanami's example, focusing their song on Calidor. Even the great Dragon Emperor roared the song in beautiful harmony with everyone, helping to control and to direct its power at Calidor. Calidor began to tremble violent, losing his grip on Lucy, Kohta, Charlene, Tao, Li Mei, and Rayden as they sang the song. Seconds later, an explosion ripped through Calidor's chest, causing him to vomit out Oshida's grizzled remains along with pieces of his own ribcage all over Lucy and Kohta. The bloody, partially melted skull of Oshida dropped next to Lucy with the eyes still staring out of their sockets.

Calidor shook his head, holding it with two of his seven remaining physical hands while holding his chest with two other hands. "No…you can't stop…I won't give…" The moment he released them, Lucy, Kohta, Tao, Charlene, Li Mei, Bandoh, and Rayden launched every vector they had, first knocking him off them, and then dismembering Calidor down to the cellular level. The Dragon Emperor roared, breathing a scorching fireball at Calidor, setting his body on fire as he flew up in the air. "Nooo!" Calidor screamed in his death throes.

"Yes!" Lucy crowed with insane delight. "Die, you fucking monster! Die and go back to where you fucking belong! Die already!"

Calidor's burning form swelled and exploded into a cloud of dust, his flesh having been burned to ashes by the diclonius teamwork of Lucy, Kohta, Rayden, Tao, Li Mei, Bandoh, Charlene, and the Dragon Emperor. For a few moments, dead silence prevailed as everyone stared in shock at what just occurred. Then the Dragon Emperor announced, "The Chaos Lord Calidor is dead and his soul returned to his dark dimension! The multiverse has been rebalanced."

A cheer rose like a tsunami over the multitude of diclonius souls until it thundered. Lucy remained lying on her back for a moment, exhausted by the fury of her grief and anger. Kohta crawled to her side and sat down next to her, not caring that she was drenched in the blood and body parts of her biological father. He held her hand, saying nothing, just being there for her. The Dragon Emperor lumbered to her with Saito, Elle, Fargo, Sen, Tanya, Mayu, Nana, and Myra following him. Izanami carried Yuka to Lucy and Kohta.

"It's surprising how a single soul can change the Fate of so many," the Dragon Emperor stated softly. "Your father has set right his sin by sacrificing himself for you, my Queen. Do not begrudge him this honor."

Lucy sat up with Kohta's help, whimpering. "No," she said softly. "He showed me the last lesson I needed to see."

"And what lesson was that, my Queen?" Akira asked.

Lucy picked up her father's bloody skull and gazed at it, allowing the grief to bubble out slowly rather than suppressing it. "I spent my entire life hating this man who threw me away when I was a baby. But here at the end of all things, he came to me for forgiveness and ultimately sacrificed his own life to save mine. He paid for his crime against me with his own blood, just as he wanted…fighting the very evil that caused him to throw me into that ravine in the first place. If a human such as him whom did such evil can atone for his actions in this manner, learning from his mistakes and making amends, then the rest of humanity can too. We are all part of the same family, the same species. Kohta, help me up." Kohta helped her stand and she looked to the sky, feeling every single diclonius soul that had ever existed up until this moment. She turned her gaze to the skull in her hand and openly wept. Kohta motioned for everyone to back up as he held on to her. They did as he asked, giving her and Kohta space.

"Let it go," Kohta whispered in her ear. "Do not let the grief poison you. Release it gently. That's it."

She dropped the severed head of her father and buried her face in Kohta's shoulder, bawling. "No more," she cried. "This ends now! The anger and hate must stop. No more bloodshed; I've had my fill of it! No more, I watched that monster eat my dad in front of me! No more!"

"Lucy, look at me," Kohta said softly. She looked up into his mauled face, seeing blood and tears streaming down his cheeks. "We will get through this. I am with you, as is Mayu, Nana, and even Yuka. Every soul we freed here today is here to help you now. You don't have to bear this terrible burden alone. But you now rule as Queen of every diclonius on this planet. What you say is law for them. If you want no more of this bloodshed, then there will be no more of this bloodshed, hate, and genocide. All you have to do is say the word. After all, we are a hive mind because of the Collective, aren't we? So what is your word for our people and the humans of this planet?"

Lucy felt Kohta's love and support in his words and through their unique diclonius connection. It gave her strength and quieted her raging grief. She passionately kissed him, wrapping her arms around Kohta. He likewise responded. After the kiss, she touched his forehead with hers and whispered, "Thank you for not betraying me."

"How could I? You came back from the dead for me and gave me reason to live again," Kohta murmured. "…just as I was your reason for living. Now what about our people, do we give them reason to live again too?"

Lucy turned away from Kohta with a sober look as she wiped the blood and tears away. "Yes, Kohta…we do. The madness ends now!" she called to the sky, her voice booming out over the battlefield. "I declare that we shall live in peace with the humans and the earth. Any diclonius who violates this decree will be subject to my discipline. I will not have us take the earth to the brink of annihilation again. This goes double for the humans. Any human who violates this decree and threatens or torments us will be subject to diclonius justice! And anyone, human or diclonius, who threatens the earth like this again will meet the same fate as the monster Calidor. The bloodshed and hate stops here. The war is over! We are brothers and sisters. It's time we started acting like it." Her words reached out and penetrated into every diclonius and human mind on the planet. "And to whoever or whatever lies beyond this planet, we humans aren't going anywhere. We decide our fate and destiny, not you, whatever the fuck you may be. Get in our way and be demolished like we demolished Calidor. Just leave us alone if you don't want to help us." Her words, propelled by the power of her thoughts, raced into deep space…a message to any alien power that would interfere with humanity's survival.

"My Queen," Izanami called out as she approached carrying Yuka. "We have one more task to perform: Yuka."

Kohta's eye grew wide and he rushed forward, taking Yuka from Izanami. He settled down on his knees, holding her in his lap. Tears gushed forth from his good eye. "I am so sorry for everything, Yuka."

A pleasant, but weak smile crossed her lips. She reached up and touched his bloody face. "My god, are you all right?" she asked, noticing the gashes across his face and his burst eye.

"I will be," Kohta replied. "I'm so sorry that you ended up this position. I should have never happened."

"But you came for me, Kohta," Yuka whispered. "You walked into hell itself and rescued me. I understand how you see me now and am content to be your Gemini sister. I love you more than you can ever know. And more than that, I forgive you."

Kohta hugged her tightly, weeping joyously. "Thank you, Yuka. Are you ready to go home?"

"I am," Yuka stated. "Did you kill that monster?"

"We did," Lucy stated coolly, looking down at Yuka from a standing position. "And believe it or not, you made a critical difference in helping us defeating him. By singing Kohta's song, you helped weaken Calidor enough for us to take him out."

"I'm glad," Yuka murmured, getting sleepy. "Where's my white knight? Where's Rayden?"

"I'm here, my angel," Rayden answered, rushing up and dropping to his knees next to her. "Thank you for saving me, Yuka."

"Will I ever see you again?" Yuka asked, her tone betraying a hint of fear.

"Unfortunately, I cannot follow where you're going," Rayden stated sorrowfully. "I and my sister have been dead for 1700 years. You're a living soul. The living and the dead cannot coexist on the same plane."

Tears welled up in Yuka's eyes. "It's not fair," she moaned. "I finally find my true soul mate and he's been dead for a thousand years. It's just not fair."

"Don't cry, my angel," Rayden murmured, tears rising in his eyes too. "As long as Lucy is with you, so will I. We are all connected by the Collective."

"But it's not the same," Yuka whimpered. "How can I love a ghost? Kohta…send me home. Please send me home. I can't take this anymore."

"Okay," Kohta said, weeping at her despair. "Think of your body, Yuka. You are in a bed on board the Chimera. Follow your mind and your heartbeat back to your body."

"Do I have a heartbeat?" Yuka asked, still unsure if she were truly alive.

"You most certainly do," Lucy said softly, squatting next to Rayden. "Feel Kohta's heart beating for you. There you will find your heartbeat. Do you feel it? Pay close attention…."

Yuka began to get tingling sensations throughout her body as she felt Kohta's heart thumping in his chest. Kohta slipped a vector into Yuka's chest and gently prodded the nerves of the heart muscle, causing it to jump in her chest noticeably. She winced, grabbing her chest. "Ugh…it hurts!" she complained as Kohta pulled back the vector without damaging her.

"I know," Kohta answered softly. "You've been separated from your body for quite some time. Follow that pain back to your body. Go, my Gemini. I will see you back on the Chimera."

A deep gasp escaped Yuka's lips and she started to fade away. "Thank you, Kohta," she murmured as her form faded away.

A deep, troubled sigh escaped from Kohta's lips. Lucy patted him on the shoulder. "You did well, Kohta. Yuka's going to be okay."

"Can we go home now?" Mayu asked.

"Yes," Lucy declared. "Let's go home."

As she spoke, Bandoh limped forward, stopping a few steps in front of Lucy, Kohta, Mayu, Nana, and Myra. "What do you want?" Lucy hissed at Bandoh in obvious disgust.

Bandoh's face cast a stony look at her and Kohta. He remained silent for a few moments, allowing the tension to rise. Suddenly a wry grin crossed his lips. "Well done, Lucy, Kohta, well done. You proved me wrong and gained my respect. As I see it, we are now square, and as per our agreement, I will now leave you and your family in peace. You will not see my face again. Farewell." He turned and walked away, vanishing into the wastelands without another word.

"Son of a bitch," Kohta cursed. "He just walked away. Do you really think he meant it this time, Lucy?"

Lucy sighed and nodded. "Yes, Kohta," she replied softly. "He really means it this time. He's paid his debt to us. He's out of our lives forever." Then under her breath, she whispered, "Farewell, Bandoh. May we never cross paths again."

Tears dripped out of Mayu's eyes as she watched Bandoh disappear into the sea of diclonius faces surrounding them. "He wasn't really a bad guy," she whimpered. "He's just like us: an outcast. Who knows what kind of man he may have become if he had had a good loving family."

"Don't delude yourself, Mayu," Lucy rebuffed softly. "Bandoh is a bad man and that will never change."

"I'm not so sure about that," Kohta declared. "It seems to me that Bandoh may have been a bad guy, but I think this shit has knocked some sense into him. I think he may be looking for redemption now."

"As long as he looks for it away from us," Lucy stated coldly.

"That's mean," Mayu scolded. "After everything that's happened, don't you think you should give Bandoh another chance? He did, after all, come through when we really needed him."

"I think Mayu is right," Nana agreed. "He may have played like he betrayed us, but it was all part of the plan to get you and Kohta close enough to Calidor to take him down. Plus he also saved Myra's life and saved Kohta when he was captured after that attack on the way to the submarine. Doesn't that account for anything?"

Lucy sighed and held up her hands. "All right, all right," she said glumly. "You have a point. But I think it's best he just stay away from us. I've seen the darkness in him. It's as dark as that of Calidor. I don't want that darkness anywhere near us. It'll just cause us more trouble and I've had my fill of it. Is that clear?"

"Absolutely," Kohta replied. "Isn't that right, Mayu, Nana?"

Mayu sighed. "Yes, Lucy. I was just pointing out that he may not be all that bad, not that I wanted him around us. I haven't forgotten that he tried to kill us several times."

"More than that, he's unstable," Nana pointed out. "What Kakuzawa did to him, followed by what Calidor did really messed him up. I don't know if he'll ever be right. It's better that he never come around us again."

"I don't think that's really going to be a problem," Myra stated. "Bandoh is dead. He is a spirit now and can't cross over into the world of the living without someone on our side letting him in. Let's leave the troubled warrior to his destiny. If we are lucky, we'll never have to deal with his likes again."

"Amen to that," Kohta stated. "Let's leave the old war dog in his grave."

"I'm ready to go home, Lucy," Mayu declared.

"So am I, Mayu," Lucy answered with a weary smile. "Take us home, Ryu-Wo-Chin."

"As you wish, my Queen; all those who are living need to gather around me and I shall transport you," the Dragon Emperor ordered. "There's one more task for Queen Lucy and King Kohta to perform." Every living soul at the ruins gathered around the dragon. "Izanami, Rayden, meet us at the Nexus," the dragon ordered. "Bring your people with you." They nodded and the Dragon Emperor roared, teleporting them in a flash of light to the Nexus.

A/N: The battle is over. Lucy and Kohta, with the help of their friends, family, and every diclonius soul who ever lived have destroyed Calidor and sent his dark soul back into the nether regions of the Dark Dimensions. But they paid a high price for their victory with both Lucy and Kohta wounded and their power depleted from the battle. Will they regain their strength and be able to deal with the next mysterious task at the Nexus? Will they be able to restore what Calidor tore down so methodically and find the peace they so covet? Read on to find out. As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	38. Chapter 38 Collective Restoration

Chapter 38

Collective Restoration

A light flashed on the golden island in the center of multiversal reality of the Nexus. When it vanished, Lucy and Kohta found themselves once again staring out into the unfathomable majesty and mystery created by the infinite possibilities and dimensions merging into the Nexus of all Realities. "I'll never get used to that," Lucy commented as she shook off the disorienting effect of the Dragon Emperor's teleportation. Fargo, Mayu, Nana, Tao, Li Mei, Charlene, Tanya, Saito, and Elle stared in fearful wonder at the impossible scene around them. "Why are we in the Nexus again?" Lucy asked.

"To show you the way to the true Collective," the Dragon Emperor announced. This declaration immediately got her attention. "Now that Calidor has been exiled back into his home dimension, and Izanami's Collective has been shattered, I can reveal it to you. Follow me, Lucy, Kohta. This way," the Dragon Emperor urged. He led them to the far side of the golden island floating in the ethereal sea of the universe to a small, unimpressive gate. "Look into the gate," the dragon ordered.

Lucy and Kohta looked into the gate and gasped, seeing a beautiful world teaming with life on the other side. As she gazed into that dimension, two figures appeared on the other side of the gate: a man and woman who appeared to be diclonius. The woman looked to be the spitting image of Lucy's biological mother and the man favored Kohta heavily in his size and bone structure, almost as if he were Kohta's kin. Both of them smiled pleasantly at Lucy and Kohta as they stared in shock.

Li Mei and Tao saw the pair on the other side of the gate. "By the gods," Li Mei said in awe, "…they look like they could pass as kin for both Kohta and Lucy. Who are they, wise dragon?"

"They are the King and Queen of the First Diclonius race who lived during the time of the Dragon Wars; a time known to those of your planet as the Dragon Age," the Dragon Emperor declared. "They await Lucy and Kohta."

"What do I do?" Lucy asked. "How do I connect with them?"

"Same as I did with you," Izanami called out as she walked up with Rayden. "Just reach out and pull them through. You now have the power to do it."

The woman held out her hand and smiled warmly. Lucy looked at her and thoughts of her biological mother flooded her mind, drawing tears. "Momma," Lucy whispered. "Why do you remind me of my mother?"

"Take her hand and find out," Rayden suggested.

Lucy abruptly reached through the gate, taking the hand of the woman, who in turn, held on to her partner's hand. She then pulled them both through into the Nexus. They gasped as if the wind had been knocked out of them once they were in the Nexus with Lucy. Seconds later, they found their breath. The diclonius woman looked at Lucy with a mother's love. "Kaeda," the woman said softly with a smile. "My you have grown into such a beautiful woman."

"Who are you?" Lucy asked bluntly.

"I was the last true Queen of the diclonius," the woman replied warmly. "My name is Ai, and at my side is my one and only king, Yuan Zhi. Together, we faced the darkness of the Chaos dimensions and defeated it many millennia ago during the Age of the Dragon Wars, just as you did just now. We have been awaiting your arrival for five thousand years."

Kohta stared at the pair and Yuan Zhi chuckled. "Do we surprise you, Master Kohta?"

"I guess just a little," Kohta replied. "You remind me so much of my dad."

"It's to be expected," Yuan Zhi stated, patting Kohta on the shoulder. "Much can happen in the genetic mix in five thousand years. Maybe some of our genetic material made it down through the generations to you."

Kohta suddenly staggered and Yuan Zhi caught him. "Easy, Master Kohta…your wounds are beginning to weigh on you. Let me help." Kohta nodded, feeling oddly safe in Yuan's arm. Yuan loosed several vectors that swept through Kohta's body, repairing the damage and stopping the blood loss. "There," Yuan said, retracting his vectors after finishing his healing work. "That should do. There's nothing I can do about the eye. It's damaged beyond repair. It'll have to be replaced by your people."

Kohta smiled, feeling somewhat rejuvenated by Yuan's medical assistance. "Thank you," he said. "I'm not worried about the eye right now. We'll figure something out. But I am mystified about something."

"What is that, son?" Yuan asked.

"The Collective Izanami erected is now in ruins," Kohta asked. "If this world we see beyond the gate is the true Collective, how do we merge with it and send our people to it?"

"That is the prerogative of your Queen," Yuan stated. "She must make the choice to open the channel to our Collective in order to allow your departed souls to enter."

"She must merge with us," Ai declared, "…and so must you as King of your people, Master Kohta. Only by merging and opening the pathways can you and Lucy to open our Collective to your people."

"And how do we do that?" Lucy asked.

"The same way you healed your fractured personality, Lucy," Izanami declared. "Ai and Yuan have linking pieces connecting them to their Collective, just as you have linkages for ours. Even more important is that all these linkages are compatible with each other. But as a deceased soul like me, they are not capable of making contact with you. But as a living soul, you can make contact with them and open the bridge, expanding our Collective into theirs, if that is what they wish."

"You have proven worthy to have access to us with your decisive defeat of the Alpha Chaos Lord Calidor," Ai stated. "Your turn from the darkness and death of Chaos to life and light as earned you and your people a place with us. We welcome you and your people into our home and Collective. Your Collective and our Collective will become the one and only Collective for all our peoples. With access to us, you can have access to the knowledge and powers we wielded in the Dragon Age. With that knowledge and power, you will be able to guide our people and the humans into peace with the planet and finally get the peace you and I so covet, and Fate willing, keep the past from repeating itself yet again."

Lucy looked around at them, and then looked down at the golden floor at her feet. A sigh escaped her lips. "Will it really happen? Will Kohta and I be able to live in peace after all that's happened?"

"Only you can answer that question," Rayden said, gently putting his hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Your will decides your fate now, not those of the higher powers who have constantly meddled in human affairs since the beginning. If you will to live in peace, you will."

"Rayden speaks the truth," the Dragon Emperor stated. "Your world stands at the crossroads of eternity, and you have the power to decide which direction you and your world will go. Fate, Destiny, and the Eternal Council's plans stand in ruins by your actions this day. As Ai pointed out, Calidor was an Alpha Chaos Lord…the most powerful, evil, and brutal of his kind. By you destroying his avatar in your dimension and sending his vile soul back beyond the gates of his home dimension, his minions who have been influencing your world and this universe have been thrown into chaos themselves. Without a leader, they will soon wither and vanish into the chaos they sought to unleash on your universe. You have set the balances of the multiverse back into equilibrium. All is as it should be, for the time being. All you need to do now is connect with your predecessors and open the channels for your kind to enter their world, merging Izanami's artificial Collective with the one true Collective dimension for your people."

Lucy looked at Ai, then at Yuan and Kohta. A feeling of utterly isolation swept over Lucy. Ai noticed it and touched her on the shoulder. "Lucy, my child, listen to me. I know what you are feeling because I felt it too when I first became the true Queen of all the diclonius in my time. Your power is making you feel isolated from everything. This feeling is making you feel like everything is being swept beyond your reach."

Lucy's eyes grew wide. "You know this burden," she cried. "How do I cope with it? This is more power than any single person should ever have."

Ai reached out and drew Kohta forward. She placed his hand in Lucy's hand deliberately. "Here is your salvation, my child. This precious young man is your lifeline. He will help you carry the burden, as will every one of our children. We are hive mind and you are our Queen now. We will help you carry the burden and power of our race. Presently, you are connected to every diclonius soul living and dead from your time. When you connect with us, you will rebuild the Collective as you see fit and once you release all those deceased souls into the new Collective, the burden will not be as terrible."

"What you are feeling right now is the pressure of every diclonius soul born since Rayden and Izanami," Yuan stated. "You connected yourself to them in order to overpower the Chaos Lord Calidor. Now that he has been destroyed, and exiled back into his abysmal prison, the weight of all those souls is crushing you and Master Kohta. You and he must restore and rebuild the Collective with ours and release them into their proper afterlife. Only when you do this will you be able to cope with this burden as our Queen. You physically cannot handle the pressure of the millions of deceased diclonius souls and their power. Set them free into the Collective you are about to create."

"He is right, my Queen," the Dragon Emperor rumbled. "It's time for you to heal and rebalance your Collective body by doing exactly as Yuan and Ai suggest. Only when you free yourself of the weight of your dead will you be able to live in peace. Now is the time to act. Create the new Collective from the ashes of the old ones."

"How?" Lucy asked desperately. "I've never created a Collective before."

"But I have," Izanami said, taking Lucy by the hand. "And so has Ai. This is why it was so imperative that I survive our final conflict. The knowledge to create a Collective lies within you and me. I shall merge with you and share that knowledge." Before Lucy could react, Izanami phased immaterial and flowed into Lucy by literally stepping into her body.

Lucy flinched, and then sighed deeply. A confident expression crossed her face as she finally understood what Izanami meant. Casting her gaze to Kohta, she said, "We have one last chore, Kohta. Let's do it and go home."

"Right," Kohta stated. "Just tell me what you want me to do."

"Ai and Yuan need to go back to their side of the gate," Lucy stated. "Then we link all our vectors together through the gate and use our will and vectors to rebuild the Collective." Kohta cast a confused look at her. When she saw it, Lucy clarified, "You remember how we linked during our main attack on Calidor when he called out his brood?" Kohta nodded. "That's what we need to do except we need to link our vectors not just to each other, but to Ai and Yuan too. Together, our combined power and will should be sufficient to restructure the Collective and make it stable. If we don't, the ruins of Izanami's Collective will spread across the world and create untold havoc. This is how we fix it."

"Ahhh, I understand now," Kohta chimed, finally grasping the concept. "Let's do it and go home. I'm dead tired."

Lucy smiled and gently slapped him on the cheek. "That's my boy," she crowed. "Ai, Yuan…are you ready?"

"Whenever you are," Ai stated. "Just help us back through the gate."

Lucy nodded and picked up Ai and Yuan gently with her vectors. "Once you get to your side of the gate, release all your vectors…both of you. We will do the same and send them through to your side, establishing our connection to your world. When we completely link, then we shall clean up this mess, creating a new Collective out of what's left of our Collective and yours. Is that okay?"

"It is," Ai stated.

"Whatever you wish, my Queen," Yuan stated.

"Then let's get started," Lucy stated, pushing Ai and Yuan through the gateway with her vectors. Once Ai and Yuan were standing in their own dimension, Lucy turned to Kohta and ordered, "Now split your vectors three ways, Kohta: a third for me, a third for Ai, and a third for Yuan. I will do the same, as will Ai, and Yuan. When we link, then we can work together to create a new Collective for our people."

"You got it," Kohta stated, doing exactly as Lucy asked. He sent a third of his vectors to Lucy, and the rest through the gateway to Ai and Yuan, who instantly linked with his vectors. Lucy did the same, concentrating intensely to perform this last massive task. Their vectors became luminous translucent beams so numerous that Lucy, Kohta, and the gateway were lost in a glowing white orb.

"Upon my word," Saito breathed. "What's happening here, my wise dragon friend?"

"Queen Lucy, Master Kohta, Ai, and Yuan are rebuilding the Collective from the ashes of the two Collectives," the Dragon Emperor said. "Watch closely, human, for you will not see the likes of this again. The creation of a Collective happens only once in an eon. They are rebuilding the natural dimension of the original Collective so it may accept souls from your time."

Moments later, the glowing orb grew to thirty meters across in an instant. Everyone watched with hushed, baited breath as the orb changed began to flash and change colors. "Oh my," Li Mei murmured. "What a beautiful sight. I've never seen anything so beautiful."

"That it is," Charlene agreed, entranced by the multicolored ball of light. Without warning, the ball flashed like a sunburst, temporarily blinding the onlookers, alive and dead alike. When the flash subsided, they first saw a dense fog bank thirty meters in diameter and twenty-five meters high. Mayu and Nana looked on in fearful apprehension.

"What happened?" Mayu asked. "Did Lucy and Kohta do it?"

"I don't know," Fargo replied. "I can't sense anything at all in this place."

"Hold on," Nana called out. "I see movement."

They watched as Kohta and Lucy appeared, slowly walking out of the fog. They were holding each other up, fatigue heavy on them. "It's them!" Nana cried joyously.

"Did you do it?" Tao asked as he, Fargo, Mayu, Myra, and Nana rushed forward.

Lucy nodded weakly as Izanami stepped out of the fog behind her. "It is done," Izanami declared. "The Collective is now restored and capable of handling all our kind. Great Dragon Emperor…please summon the winds to disperse the fog and reveal our new Collective gateway."

"Of course, Lady Izanami," the Dragon Emperor stated. He lumbered forward and fanned his wings, generating a brisk wind that dispersed the fog bank. Slowly, a form became visible: a new dome shaped gateway twenty meters high and thirty meters across; a shimmering membrane that showed a place filled with light and life on the other side. Ai and Yuan stood at the edge of the gate, just inside of it with huge smiles on their faces.

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Mayu asked, taking her hand.

Lucy smiled weakly. "Yes. It'll be okay. I'm just so damned tired."

"It's time to open the gate for our kind, Lucy," Izanami stated.

"Right," Lucy murmured. She straightened up and called out with the last of her strength, "Our new Collective untainted by Calidor's poison and Fury is open to every soul who is free of Fury. Ai and Yuan are my guardians inside the Collective. I now set you free. Go, be one with our Collective mind, and be free of the pain and heartache of the Fury!"

The Nexus of all Realities suddenly filled with every deceased diclonius soul who had perished since Rayden and Izanami. They stared in silence, surrounding the new gate with Lucy and Kohta standing guard. For a moment, no one moved. Then a single diclonius girl walked up to Lucy and Kohta. She looked at them with a pleading look. Kohta instantly recognized her as the girl in his dream of the Collective whom the Fury side of the Collective consumed when she foolishly touched it. He stepped forward and took her by the hand. "No one will ever hurt you like that again. Go and be at peace," he said softly, leading her to the edge of the gateway. He touched the membrane of the gate, showing her it was safe. "See, there's nothing to fear now. Our nightmare is at last over and pleasant dreams long overdue await you with Ai and Yuan. Go now and be at peace."

The nameless girl suddenly latched onto Kohta, hugging him. "Thank you for saving me, my King and Queen," she wept. "I will forever be grateful."

Kohta returned the hug, and then pushed her gently through the gate, saying "You're welcome, sister. Now go to your well-deserved rest." The girl passed through the gate into the waiting arms of Ai and Yuan, who greeted her as a lost daughter. She turned and smiled at Kohta, waving at him. He waved back, and then turned to the multitude. "Okay, who's next? All who are free of Fury can enter! Come on, don't be shy!"

The multitude suddenly broke into a thunderous cheer, chanting Lucy and Kohta's names while rushing forward. As they came forward, Lucy and Kohta sensed every deceased soul; scanning them with their vectors to be sure they were cleansed of Fury before going through into the Collective. Souls who had bore nothing but heartache and misery at the hands of the Fury were bubbling and smiling joyously as they rushed the gate to be free. Kohta couldn't help but smile at the rejuvenation of demolished diclonius souls as they passed through the gateway into their new Collective.

Lucy released Mariko's soul and essence from her person. The two looked at each other for a moment, and then Mariko smiled. "Not bad, Lucy…not bad at all; thanks for saving our asses," Mariko chimed. She touched Lucy on the shoulder in a friendly manner, and then turned to Kohta. "And you, human-turned-diclonius," she said. "Thank you." Mariko briefly hugged Kohta and followed the crowd into the new Collective. Her actions stunned Lucy and Kohta.

"You're welcome," Kohta called out as Mariko passed into the Collective. "Hard to believe she wanted you dead once upon a time, Lucy."

Lucy looked at Kohta wearily. "Not that hard to believe," she replied. "The Fury caused us such terrible hatred and pain. Without the Fury driving her, Mariko is really a nice girl."

"I can see that," Kohta murmured.

Moments later, all the deceased souls except for Izanami, Rayden, and Akira had flooded into the Collective. With the last of those deceased souls passing into their new paradise, Lucy and Kohta felt the crushing weight of all their dead lift off them.

Lucy became dizzy as fatigue and exhaustion overwhelmed her. Kohta saw her swaying and moved to catch her when he too crashed with exhaustion. Izanami caught Lucy and steadied her while Rayden caught Kohta.

"God damn it," Lucy moaned, holding her forehead with her hands. "I'm crashing and can't stop it."

"Me too," Kohta growled as he felt like the universe was spinning around him. "I don't have anything left."

"Just relax, my precious daughter," Izanami cooed. "You don't need to do anything else. It's finally over and your family is safe. Just let the sleep come. Sleep my precious daughter, sleep. You deserve it after saving our asses from our own stupidity and nearsightedness." Izanami began humming the Lilium for Lucy, sedating her with its soothing melody.

Rayden held onto Kohta. "Don't fight it, Kohta," Rayden said. "You've burned through too much power to resist what your body is demanding right now. You've avenged us, saved your family, your cousin, and your wife. Now let the sleep come so your blood can rebuild your strength. Sleep, my son. Sleep, it's okay to let your guard down now." Kohta futilely fought to stay awake. When Rayden began humming Lilium, Kohta crashed into unconsciousness. Rayden picked Kohta up and turned to Fargo. "Come here and take him, Captain," Rayden ordered. "He and Lucy need some serious medical attention that only the living can bestow on them now."

Fargo took Kohta from Rayden. "We will take care of our Queen and King. They are our family now," Fargo declared.

"Li Mei, come get Lucy," Izanami called out as she cradled Lucy in her arms. Li Mei quickly took Lucy from Izanami.

"We will take good care of her," Li Mei insisted. "She is not just my friend, but my sister and Queen."

Izanami looked at Mayu, Nana, and Myra, who betrayed great concern for Lucy and Kohta on their faces. "Are they going to be all right?" Mayu asked fearfully.

Izanami lovingly touched Mayu on the top of her head. "They'll be all right. They just need a long vacation where no one is trying to kill them. After all, you did see what they went through to stop the Calidor's evil from destroying your world."

"I sure did," Mayu said softly. "I hate it when they get hurt like this."

"Lucy is the Queen, Mayu," Rayden said softly. "She has power over every cell in her body. She will not die because she has every living diclonius strengthening her and Kohta at this very moment. Just have faith in her. She and Kohta are going to be all right."

His words placated Mayu. She latched onto him with a hug. "Thank you for reassuring me. You're such a nice guy. I can't figure out how you became tangled up with a monster like Calidor."

Rayden sighed deeply. "I wish I could tell you, but I don't rightly know myself. But one thing I can tell you is this. If it weren't for you, Lucy, Kohta, Nana, and Yuka believing in each other despite everything, I'd still be snared by that beast. Thank you for freeing me. And tell Yuka that I love her and that some day we may be together. This is my only regret at this point. I found someone I truly care about, even love if you can believe it, but I can't be with her until she dies. It's just not right. I'd do anything for her. She is my savior, dragging me out of that black abyss."

"You really love her, don't you?" Mayu asked softly.

"I do," Rayden bemoaned. "But we are literally worlds and dimensions apart. I've been dead for 1700 years in your dimension…my light snuffed out by my own rage and stupidity. There's no way for my soul to return to your dimension. My body has long since turned to dust."

"I don't know what to say," Mayu whispered, feeling his torment over not being able to follow Yuka back into the world of the living. "These are things beyond my comprehension. But I will tell her what you said. I'm sure she'll appreciate it after everything that's happened."

"Rayden," Myra called out. He turned to her and she said, "After everything I've seen and experienced in the last few months, I can safely say I don't know Jack Shit about anything anymore. But looking around at this wondrous place where it appears that every possible contingency is not just plausible, but possible, I think you should not give up hope on seeing Yuka again before she dies. I'm sure that somewhere in the mystery of this wonderful place at the center of the universe you may find the path that may lead you back to Yuka. So don't give up hope on seeing her until after she's dead. It could be that your actions against Calidor may net a bonus you don't yet realize. Think about it."

Rayden felt a flicker of hope rise in his cold diclonius heart. Tears began dripping from his eyes as he kissed Myra's hand. "You're an extremely intelligent and wise woman, Myra. And your words have sparked something in my heart I never thought possible."

"What might that be?" Izanami asked with baited breath, seeing her brother shed the final dregs of darkness.

"Hope, my beloved sister, hope," Rayden said softly.

Izanami rushed to Rayden, throwing her arms around him in a warm, sisterly embrace. "At last I have you back! You have finally come back to me!"

Rayden returned the embrace just as warmly. "Yes, sis…the darkness that captured me is completely purged now with hope, love, light, and life. But how do you feel about Yuka?"

Izanami caressed Rayden's cheek. "Yuka is one of us, Rayden. She shares our genetic line with Kohta. She's family. I will not stop you if you love her enough to find a way back to her."

"You were always the good one between us," Rayden admitted. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, my beloved brother," Izanami chimed. "Now it's time we returned to our place in the Collective. We need to help set things in order before we can spend time on other things."

Rayden felt a pang of cold stab his heart, but he knew Izanami was right. They needed to enter the Collective and assist Ai and Yuan set the Collective in order. "Right," he said calmly. Turning to Mayu, he said, "Remember what I told you to tell Yuka. I love her and always will, even until the end of time itself."

"I will, Rayden," Mayu replied. "And I'm sure she loves you too, as do we all."

The statement stopped Rayden as he turned to leave. Without looking at Mayu, he asked, "Do you really love me? I am responsible for everything that has happened to you, after all."

"I do, Rayden," Mayu stated categorically. "…as do we all. If I can love Lucy after everything she did to Kohta in the past, then I can surely love you, who have obviously turned from the darkness that swallowed you. Do not doubt that we love you, Rayden. And I'm sure Yuka loves you even more. After what I saw when she went back, I know it. So believe it. You are loved."

Tears flooded his eyes. "I can see your power now, Mayu. No one has ever told me that, much less a human, since I was a little boy in the hills of Hokkaido," Rayden said, his voice cracked and strained by the grief he felt. "You have no idea what this means to me. Thank you, Mayu. You have made a friend for eternity."

"That's what Lucy told me when I told her the same thing," Mayu answered. "Talk to her some time and you'll see what she thinks of me."

Rayden turned back to Mayu and scooped her up in a passionate hug. He kissed her on the cheek and sat her down. Kneeling down in front of her, he said choked with emotion, "If you ever need me, you know where to find me. I have a human friend now, the first in my long, lonely existence. Thank you."

"You're most welcome, Rayden," Mayu beamed. "Now I think you should go with your sister to help straighten up things inside the Collective. If I need you, I'll just get Lucy to come get you."

"You got it, little lady," Rayden chimed, feeling so happy he was giddy. "Come sis, let's go home." He took Izanami's hand and led her to the gate. She stopped just outside the gate, letting go of his hand as he walked through.

Turning to the Dragon Emperor and those around him, she bowed formally. "Thank you, great Dragon Emperor Ryu-Wo-Chin for your assistance in helping to resolve this crisis. I leave our Queen, King, and their family and friends in your charge. Return them to their ship and instruct them accordingly."

"You are most welcome, Lady Izanami," the Dragon Emperor replied. "Everything has proceeded as it should have. The timelines are coming back into alignment and the multiverse is now rebalancing itself with the exile of Calidor back into his home dimension. Many more challenges await our Queen and King, but none that they will not be able to handle. Now go; return to your dimension, and inform Rayden that the mysteries of the Nexus may yet show him the way back to his love, as the young woman Myra suggested. As of now, his destiny still remains in flux."

"I will, my wise dragon friend," Izanami stated. Turning her attention to Mayu and Nana, she called out, "I will always be near you, my friends. Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome," Mayu replied.

"We love you, Izanami," Nana called out.

"I love you too," Izanami answered. "Now go home and take care of Lucy and Kohta. They've drained their strength dangerously low."

"We will," Mayu declared. Izanami blew them a kiss and walked through the gateway into the Collective.

"I will never be the same again," Mayu declared.

"None of you will," the Dragon Emperor stated. "You have tasted of a thing only a handful of beings ever get to experience. Learn from it. Remember who you are and why the world was given this second chance. Write it down and share it so that the world will never forget how it almost perished from its own shortsightedness." Turning to Hishiro, Chizu, and Kyoko, he said, "My dear friends who have faithfully served as the keepers of my Shrine and the Collective, you must now go with them and live beyond the walls of my Shrine. Your task is complete. Now that the multiverse is rebalanced, you can go and live with your people as it was should be. Thank you for your service and friendship."

Chizu bowed formally to the Dragon Emperor. "Thank you, my wise dragon friend. We shall miss you."

"Yes," Kyoko agreed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "We will, especially me."

"Don't cry, little one," the Dragon Emperor cooed, leaning down to look her in the eye. "I will always be with you and watch over you from this sacred Nexus of all Realities. But your time with me has passed, and now we must go our separate ways. You will find new friends and loves out there."

Kyoko rushed forward and hugged the Dragon Emperor's massive face, kissing it. "I'll never forget you, Ryu. Please visit me in my dreams."

"I will, little one," the Dragon Emperor murmured. "Now go to your parents. It's time for you to go."

Kyoko wiped the tears from her eyes and slowly walked back to Hishiro and Chizu, looking over her shoulder at the ancient dragon. "Promise me," she called out.

"I will always be with you and your friends, Kyoko," the Dragon Emperor declared. "Now I will transport all of you to your ship. Captain Fargo…"

"Yes, wise one," Fargo asked as he held Kohta in his arms.

"When you reach your ship, leave the island immediately," the Dragon Emperor instructed. "If you don't make it outside the dimensional rift zone by the green flash with the setting of the sun…you and everyone on board your vessel will be disintegrated by the dimensional shift that occurs when this island vanishes from your dimension. Your physical bodies cannot stand the gravitational and molecular stresses of the dimensional shift. Do you understand?"

"I do," Fargo replied soberly. "How long do we have before the sun sets?"

"The sun will set on this island in two and a half hours," the Dragon Emperor declared. "I shall monitor your progress and help if I can." With that, he roared and a flash of light encompassed the living souls in the Nexus of all Realities.

In the blink of an eye, a light flashed in the Officer's lounge of the Chimera. The alarm went off, bringing Guildo and Dr. Ravenclaw rushing to the lounge with a security detachment. When they burst in, they saw a white mist slowly dissipating with Fargo standing there holding Kohta. Li Mei stood next to him cradling Lucy in her arms and scattered around the room in the same positions they stood in while at the Nexus were Mayu, Nana, Myra, Charlene, Tanya, Tao, Hishiro, Chizu, Kyoko, Saito, and Elle. Guildo's eyes grew wide and he exclaimed, "Captain! What happened? Are you all right?" He then saw Kohta's maimed condition. "Good lord, what happened? Is Master Kohta all right?"

"Give him to me," Dr. Ravenclaw ordered, taking Kohta's unconscious form from Fargo. "Li Mei, follow me. We need to get Lucy and Kohta to the infirmary now." Li Mei nodded and followed Raven claw out of the lounge.

"No time to explain, Captain," Fargo answered Guildo. "We have less than two and a half hours to get away from this place or we're dead. Haul anchor and get the Chimera moving now. If we're caught in the dimensional rift around this island when it closes, everyone will be joining Izanami in the Collective the hard way. Go."

"Aye sir," Guildo stated. Turning to Hishiro, Chizu, and Kyoko, whom the security team had surrounded, Guildo asked, "What about them, Captain? Are they friendly?"

"Stand down," Fargo ordered the security team. "They are with us. They are the last living descendants of Izanami and Rayden Seiyuchin. Now come, Guildo…let's get away from this place." The security team backed down and dispersed as they left the Officer's Lounge.

Within minutes, the Chimera's engines roared to life, pushing the massive submarine back through the maze of shoals and reefs. Two hours later, Karosuma said, "We're clear of the reefs, Captain."

"Good, all ahead full," Fargo ordered.

"Aye sir, all ahead full, heading 085, mark 6, northeast," Karosuma reported, pushing forward on the controls until the Chimera raced through the water at forty knots.

"I'll be on the observation deck," Fargo stated. "Miss Karosuma, you have the con."

"Aye sir," she replied as Fargo and Guildo left the bridge.

"We're cutting things close," Guildo said as they walked. "I remember that it was nearly six leagues of open water between the reefs and the edge of the rift bubble."

"I'm aware of that," Fargo stated as they reached the door to the observation deck on the Chimera's coning tower. The door clanged as he opened it. The smell of fresh sea air slammed them as they walked out onto the deck. Looking back to the southwest, they could see the island shrinking in the distance as the sun dropped inexorably towards the horizon. "It's going to be very close," Fargo said. He picked up the intercom microphone and asked, "Miss Karosuma, can we get any more speed out of our lady?"

"No sir," Karosuma replied through the speaker. "We're running a hundred and eight percent on the reactors. If we push her any harder, we may lose the ship."

"Do what you can," Fargo ordered.

"Aye sir," Karosuma stated.

"All we can do now is pray we make the line before the sun sets," Fargo declared.

"Indeed," Guildo answered evenly.

As they watched the island recede in the distance, they noticed a strange glowing cloud forming over it. Lightning began to crackle through the cloud. It entranced Fargo and Guildo to such a point that they didn't see Lucy and Kohta come out on the observation deck being assisted by Nana, and Mayu. Dr. Ravenclaw followed them closely. Tao, Li Mei, Tanya, Charlene, Saito, Elle, Hishiro, Chizu, and Kyoko flooded onto the observation platform right behind Ravenclaw for one last look at the mythical Island of the Collective: home of the diclonius Collective and of the Nexus of all Realities.

When Lucy stepped up beside Fargo with Nana's help, it snapped Fargo's attention away from the spectacle in the distance. "Shouldn't you be in the infirmary, my Queen?" he asked, his concern for her evident in his tone.

"No, Captain," Lucy said in a distant tone. "I'm where I must be at this moment. I had to see the island one last time."

"I understand," Fargo stated. "The fireworks started just a few moments ago."

"You haven't seen anything yet," Lucy countered.

"Are we going to make it out of the dimensional rift, my Queen?" Guildo asked.

"Just barely," Lucy stated. "Captain Fargo's insistence on following Ryu's instructions about leaving the island promptly may have saved us a violently painful death."

"By the gods! Would you look at that!" Tao cried in astonishment, stabbing his finger toward the island. "What in the name of heaven and earth is that?"

They stared in utter disbelief as the glowing cloud formed into the shape of the Dragon Emperor, hovering over the island as it shrunk in the distance. It looked at them with a smile. The Dragon Emperor's voice echoed over the sea, booming, "Well done, my friends…very well done." The cloud dragon then roared, diving into the island.

"Captain!" Karosuma's voice came over the intercom. "The computers just went haywire. The compass is going crazy and the helm is not responding. It's like we hit some kind of electromagnetic wall that's shorting out our equipment."

"Are we still moving?" Fargo asked through the intercom.

"Yes…the engines are stuck on full throttle, but we don't have any helm control," Karosuma replied. "Moreover, we're slowing as if something is pulling us back toward the island."

"I can feel it," Kohta murmured. "It's like we're falling into a hole. I think time and space may be collapsing in this area right before our eyes."

"Damn it," Fargo cursed. Suddenly, a flash of light from the island blinded everyone followed by a thunderous roar. When their site returned, they stared in numbed horror as a mushroom cloud larger than anything ever seen on the planet rose into the stratosphere and a huge wall of water rushed towards them.

Saito's heart dropped into his shoes. "We are so dead," he moaned.

"Karosuma, incoming tsunami!" Fargo shouted into the intercom. "Collision alert! Brace for impact!"

The alarms went off and Mayu asked, "Shouldn't we go below?"

"There's no time," Lucy said calmly, securing herself, Kohta, Mayu, Myra, and Nana with her vectors first. "The wave is here. Everyone link vectors and hold on." She then reached out, anchoring everyone present to the superstructure of the Chimera with her vectors. They looked, seeing the wave rushing toward them reaching upwards of thirty meters in height moving at nearly the speed of sound. The thunder of millions of tons of water moving filled their ears.

Mayu grabbed Nana and held her close as they clung to the rails. "I'm glad we were friends, Nana."

"Me too," Nana replied. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you more."

Lucy and Kohta put their arms around each other. He looked her in the eye and said, "I regret nothing, Lucy. If we die now, we die together." They latched on to the rails as the wave loomed over them.

Suddenly, the Chimera passed through a membrane of electromagnetic energy that cause static electricity to jump over the hull of the Chimera. Everyone's hair stood on end. Their nerves tingled. Just as the observation deck passed through this membrane, the wave hit the Chimera. The water lifted the sub, propelling it through the strange membrane with great force, throwing everyone down on the deck. Tanya hit her head on the rail, knocking her senseless, rendering her vectors useless as the wave roared over the observation platform, hammering all present with brutal force. Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Lucy as she desperately used the last of her strength to hold on to everyone. Lucy let out a scream that bubbled in the seawater that swirled around her. Then she heard a snap and time resumed with the wave moving on. "Someone get Tanya, quick! I can't hold her much longer," she shouted, straining to hold on to Tanya with the last of her strength to keep her from plummeting off the conning tower.

Li Mei saw Tanya unconscious on the edge of the deck, ready to plummet to her death on the Chimera's body below and acted, snaring Tanya before she fell with her vectors. "I've got her!" Li Mei called out, dragging Tanya away from the edge while the Chimera listed violently to the port, and then to the starboard before stabilizing after the wave passed them.

Fargo staggered to his feet, drenched in seawater. Leaning against the rail, he looked around and found everyone present, many of them coughing and gagging on the seawater that had nearly drowned them. Hishiro, Chizu, and Kyoko had clung to each other and the rails with Charlene and Li Mei, who was now cradling Tanya's unconscious form while Dr. Ravenclaw examined her. Lucy slumped next to the rail with Kohta, exhaustion weighing heavily upon her as Mayu, Myra, Nana, and Guildo came to her assistance. "Is everyone okay?" Fargo asked as Kohta and Guildo helped her up. Before Fargo could get an answer, he looked back from where the wave had come and saw a crackling bubble of electromagnetic energy stretching in all directions behind the Chimera. To the front of the Chimera lay a clear sky darkening as the sun set. Through this translucent bubble, he could see the mushroom cloud rising with the sun setting to the north of it. He stared in disbelief at the scene as everyone found his or her feet. Just then, he saw the legendary green flash as the sun dropped below the horizon and the bubble with everything in it shimmered, vanishing like a ghost. "Oh my god," he breathed. "It's gone, like it never existed."

Lucy patted him on the shoulder. "But it does exist, just not in this time and space. Somewhere in the infinite realities of the multiverse, the island of the Collective resides, safe from the evils of men and monsters. Our nightmare has finally come to an end." With that, her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed into Fargo's arms. Kohta did the same, falling into Guildo's arms having used the last of his strength to see the Island of the Collective one last time.

"Captain," Ravenclaw called out urgently.

"What is it?" Fargo asked, carrying Lucy as he walked over to Ravenclaw and Tanya. When he looked down, he saw Tanya's head crushed with blood gushing out and part of her brain exposed. Fargo's heart sank into his soaked shoes. "How bad is it?" he asked.

Ravenclaw looked up at Fargo and shook his head solemnly. "There's nothing I can do, Captain. She's died moments ago. Apparently, when the wave hit, she hit the rail, snapping her neck and crushing her skull. The only reason she didn't get washed overboard was the fact Lucy had locked on to her with her vectors. The only good thing I can say is that her death was swift and relatively painless."

Fargo sighed deeply. "She will be missed. I guess we were very fortunate that we didn't lose anyone else. We shall have a service for her and the others who died here so that we may remember them properly. But first, we need to get Lucy and Kohta back to bed. Come on, Mayu, Nana, Myra…let's get Lucy and Kohta back to the infirmary. They used up the very last of their strength saving our butts one last time." They nodded and followed Fargo and Ravenclaw back into the ship as it plowed northeastward towards its destiny.

A/N: Lucy and Kohta manage with the last of their strength to merge Izanami's shattered Collective with the true Collective of the first Diclonius race created during the Dragon Age. With a new Collective free from the poisons of Calidor created, Lucy and Kohta send all the deceased diclonius souls weighing upon them to their new home, relieving the terrible weight their souls had on the Queen and King of the diclonius universe. But they were not out of danger yet. Following the Dragon Emperor's instructions, they barely escaped the dimensional rift zone around the Island of the Collective as it shifted into another dimension with a catastrophic explosion that nearly destroyed the Chimera with a super tsunami. Even though they escaped with their lives, Lucy and Kohta are seriously wounded from their climatic battle with Calidor. What awaits them now that they are free of the Island of the Collective and the Nexus of all Realities? Will Yuka be the same old Yuka when she awakes from her ordeal, or will she bear a terrible hatred for Lucy and Kohta for putting her in that position? Moreover, how will the world react to this calamity? Will the humans agree to let the diclonius race live in peace with them and create a new society, or will they continue their old self-destructive ways and try to wipe out the diclonius now that their Queen is revealed? Read on to find out if Lucy and Kohta finally get their wish to live in peace with their family? As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	39. Chapter 39 Yuka's Warning

Chapter 39

Yuka's Warning

A week after the Chimera's narrow escape from the Island of the Collective, Kohta lay asleep in the Chimera's infirmary, moaning softly. Tempestuous nightmares of Calidor and other unnatural creatures of unimaginable dark power plagued him, constantly trying to steal Yuka from him. Without warning, the darkness fled from him as Kohta bolted to a sitting position in his bed crying out, "Yuka!" His pajamas were soaked with sweat as his heart hammered in his chest. His good eye opened, looking around in a panic. His eyesight was so blurred he could only see shapes. Sobs bubbled out uncontrollably as he held his head in his hands, feeling the bandages on it.

An arm gently wrapped around him and Lucy's familiar voice echoed in his ear. "It's okay, Kohta. You're safe. No one's going to hurt you."

Kohta sensed Lucy and clung to her, his sobs slowly subsiding as his eyesight cleared. He looked her in the eye and asked, "Where am I, Lucy?"

"You're in the infirmary on the Chimera, Kohta," Lucy replied as he noticed her bandaged arms and chest. "We're presently cruising slowly towards Hawaii."

"God have mercy!" Kohta moaned, not noticing there were other people present in the infirmary. "I just had the worst nightmare. Calidor was back with his monsters and they took Yuka again and I couldn't stop them."

"No he didn't," Yuka's voice called out from the left. "You and Lucy made sure of that."

Kohta turned his good eye to her voice and saw Yuka limping to the bed with Nana's help. He stared in disbelief, tears flowing from his intact eye. "Yuka?" he asked, his voice trembling as Yuka sat down on his left, opposite of Lucy. "Are you feeling okay?"

She grabbed his bandaged hand, holding it gently as she looked him in the eye. Tears of gratitude flooded her eyes as she murmured, "Yes, Kohta…I'm all right thanks to you and Lucy. Can you ever forgive me for the pain in the butt I've been?"

"Of course I forgive you, Yuka," Kohta replied, throwing his arms around his cousin. "How could I not forgive you? You're my Gemini. I love you more than you'll ever know."

"Yes, Kohta," Yuka replied softly, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I understand that better than you think. Did Rayden make it back into the Collective okay?"

Kohta's eyes grew wide with surprise. "You remember what happened?"

Yuka gazed into his eyes with a sober, sorrowful expression. "Unfortunately, I do…most of it, anyway. At times, I wish I couldn't remember it. It's so horrible that I want to just die when I do recall it. But when it gets to that point, Rayden's kindness comes to mind and it gives me strength to go on. He was such a good man."

"Yes…Rayden made it back into the Collective, Yuka," Lucy stated. "His only desire was to make sure that you survived, no matter what. He fought Calidor for you with every ounce of his strength."

"Did he make it back to his sister?" Yuka asked.

"He did," Kohta answered. "And he professed his undying love for you, swearing that if he could find a way, he would rejoin you here."

"But until he finds that way back," Lucy added, "…he and Izanami are always with me, and so with you too."

Yuka staggered at the declaration. "He said he loved me?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes," Lucy said softly. "He said you're the first he's ever loved. He called you…what was the term, Kohta?"

"He said you were his soul mate, Yuka," Kohta answered, having forgotten about the horrid nightmare that awakened him. "Rayden called you his savior, his precious angel and declared he would do anything for you. Apparently, you managed to touch his soul the same way Lucy touched mine."

Tears again dripped down Yuka's cheeks. "I had no idea he thought that much of me," she murmured. She sighed deeply and admitted, "I love him too…in the same way I suspect that you love Lucy, Kohta. But I find it terribly unfair that I fell for a man who's been dead for 1700 years. My heart aches for him, Kohta, the same way I ached for you before all this mess began." Yuka let out a strained laugh, adding, "Ironic, isn't it? Here I condemned you for loving Lucy instead of me and I fall for the same kind of person she is. What are the odds of that?"

"I don't know, nor care," Kohta stated. "You love him and that's all that matters, so you shouldn't give up on him. One day, you will be reunited with Rayden. The Dragon Emperor said Rayden's destiny is still in flux so he may get a second chance to live the life he was supposed to."

Yuka looked at Kohta with a confused look that turned to soft anger. "You're making fun of me now, Kohta. Don't do that. You know how much I hate it when you do that."

"I swear I'm not making fun of you," Kohta replied sincerely. He suddenly realized that Yuka had never seen the Nexus of all Realities. "Wait a second," he said. "I understand why you don't believe me. You didn't see the Nexus."

"Nexus…what's that?" Yuka asked.

"The Nexus is where every timeline and reality in every possible universe meets in one place," Kohta said. "It's literally the center of all universes and dimensions. Do you remember looking into Izanami's eyes that first time in the theater when we freed you?"

Yuka trembled and her face fell. She looked at Kohta with the seriousness of an executioner, asking, "Why do you bring up that horrid nightmare, Kohta? I never want to think or hear of that place again. If you so much as even speak of it to me, I'll beat you to within an inch of your life, so don't ever mention that hell to me again."

"I'm so sorry," Kohta apologized. "I didn't realize how painful memory it is for you."

"She may still be dealing with it, Kohta," Lucy stated.

"Oh, you think?" Yuka snapped crossly.

"Let me show you the Nexus, Yuka," Kohta suggested.

"No, Kohta," Lucy balked. "She isn't ready for it. Her mind can't handle it."

"Then I'll show her Izanami's eyes as I remember seeing them the first time," Kohta stated. "Her eyes reflected the Nexus. I realized it when we first saw the Nexus. Is that okay?"

"Okay," Lucy stated. "I think that would be fine."

"Look into my eyes and tell me what you see," Kohta instructed Yuka. She looked closely at his eyes as he called upon his diclonius power as the King to show her the Nexus reflected in his eyes.

Yuka suddenly gasped, seeing a whole universe of life and light springing up within Kohta's eyes, just as he saw in Izanami's eyes the first time he saw her. Entranced by it, Yuka stared at the apparition of the Nexus in Kohta's eyes. "My god," she breathed as the Nexus vanished from his eyes. "It's so beautiful. How did you do that, Kohta?"

"What you saw is the reflection of the Nexus of all Realities, Yuka," Kohta replied. "You saw it in my eyes because I saw it first. It's a strange inexplicable space that apparently belongs to every reality in every universe; a place where anything and everything is possible. The multiverse is a wondrous and mysterious place. Our Universe is just one of countless other dimensions of time and space. The Dragon Emperor, whom you saw help us kill Calidor, is the guardian of that sacred space. He says that you and Rayden may yet be together again in this life. But you must be patient. Rayden has to find the path through the Nexus that will allow him to be reborn in our world. I don't pretend to know how that will happen, but I believe it."

After a few moments of silence, Yuka declared, "You obviously believe what you told me. I can see that plainly. But I still don't understand how Rayden would be reborn into our world since he's been dead for over a thousand years."

"You don't need to understand how," Lucy answered with a soft, even tone. "All you need to do is believe and you'll see it happen. Even with all the power Kohta and I have as the King and Queen of our people, we don't have the power to resurrect Rayden, as much as I would like to do so for your sake. Both me and Kohta saw how much he loved you."

Yuka turned a cold look to Lucy. "Don't patronize me, Lucy," she said. "I'm fully aware of what you and your people can and can't do, so don't offer hope when there is none. It's just plain mean to do so. Leave me to grieve my loss in peace, and don't speak of such things to me anymore. If you just give me my space, we'll be just fine."

"Yuka…you don't mean that," Kohta cried, astonished at her sudden irrational turn of temperament. "We didn't do that to play a trick on you or to be mean to you. We told you that because we truly want to see you reunited with Rayden. You and Rayden are unique souls destined for each other and neither of you will be happy until you're reunited."

"Shut up, Kohta!" Yuka barked. "You have no idea what it's like to have your heart torn out and shown to you by the one you loved most. I'm not going to let it happen again! Don't think I forgot your betrayal of me. I lived it over and over again trapped in that crystal prison enhanced a thousand times from what it was in that hellish theater. I trusted you, Kohta. I loved you. But you loved Lucy more than me. That's why I became the centerpiece of Calidor's plan. I was a goddamned worm on a hook; a hook you put me on by choosing her over me. Don't deny it, Kohta. You ruined my life by becoming involved in something that you had no fucking clue about and it ruined us."

"But I…" Kohta stammered.

"No buts, Kohta," Yuka retorted. "Your stupidity wrecked not only our lives together, but the entire fucking planet!"

"That's not fair, Yuka," Kohta blurted out, feeling the daggers of her words cutting through his heart. "You can't blame me or Lucy for wrecking the entire planet. Even if I hadn't chosen Lucy, it would have happened anyway and may have turned out much worse than it did. The whole damned planet may have been destroyed by that monster."

"Makes no difference," Yuka stated. "You chose and now you must live with the consequences of that choice. You made a choice that cost us everything: our house, our country, even our very lives and souls. Everyone on the planet hunts us now. Do you really think that defeating Calidor is going to stop humans like me from hating you and Lucy, or your kind? If you do, then you're completely deluded. When the smokes clear from this catastrophe, the humans of this planet will consider what happened. I look for them to blame Lucy and her kind for the disaster, even though it was human arrogance and evil that started this, and take revenge on her kind. They'll not admit their own culpability in this fiasco. You cannot erase the evil from those human souls who are given over to it. Your defeat of Calidor may have removed his evil influence from the human populations and this world, but you know very well there's always something else there waiting to take its place. Who knows? What takes its place may be even worse than Calidor. It's in our nature as humans to destroy what we fear or don't understand, and it's very hard to change that nature. If that beast taught me anything, it is that most people cannot or will not change their nature, especially when faced with the unknown."

Lucy's face darkened with anger and concern. "So you think I should have let Calidor kill everyone, including you?" she asked venomously. "You think humanity is not going to learn from this tragedy and turn from its genocide of my people and of itself?"

Yuka fearlessly looked Lucy in the eye. "No, Lucy…I'm not saying that. I'm merely pointing out that you cannot expect the world to accept your people with open arms because you and Kohta killed the monster that threatened the entire planet with extinction. Some people will live in peace with you, but I fear that a good portion of the population will not understand and try to destroy you and your people out of irrational fear of you…just like they were doing before. It's in the human nature to destroy that which it fears and now you have given them a real reason to fear you and your people. If anything, this will be Calidor's greatest revenge."

"And which side are you on," Lucy asked coldly. "Are you with those who wish to live in peace with us or those who want us dead?"

Yuka sighed deeply and looked down at the floor. "You must understand something, Lucy…Kohta. I was a prisoner for a prolonged period of the greatest evil ever known to exist. If it weren't for Rayden and my love for Kohta and Mayu, even Nana, I would have been lost to you forever."

"Well?" Lucy demanded.

"In that darkness, I saw the best and worst of myself," Yuka stated. "But I also saw the best and worst of your kind, Lucy, in Rayden." She looked at Kohta with a much softer expression than she had been using. "I still have feelings for Kohta, even though he did ruin my life and destroyed everything I knew. As he said, I am his Gemini. I came to understand that in my prison. I still love him, but accept his choice of you, Lucy…as irrational as that sounds. I want to live in peace with you and Kohta." She began to whimper. "Please forgive me for being so hateful with what I said. I truly am grateful for what you did to save me and will love you both forever for it. I had to say what I did in order to release the hate and darkness that contaminated me. I couldn't keep it bottled up and expect it not to destroy me. Please, can you forgive me, Kohta?"

Kohta's mouth fell open with astonishment. Then a thought hit him that brought a smile to his face. He patted Yuka on the hand. "Of course, Yuka," he murmured. "How could I not forgive you? Lucy did far worse to me and I forgave her. Besides, I should have never doubted you. You're always there for me, Yuka. But I must admit, you had me and Lucy going there for a moment. I thought you were turning on us like you did at Kaeda House."

A soft smile crossed Yuka's lips. "I didn't know what was going on then," she said. "But now I know the whole story, as gruesome and horrid as it is." She reached out and held both Kohta's and Lucy's hands at the same time. "It is this that kept me going, this simple feeling…our friendship and love that kept me from falling to Calidor's vile corruption. You should not underestimate the power this simple feeling holds. I know you had no idea what your actions would lead to when you made your choices, Kohta, so I don't blame you or Lucy for everything that's happened to me or the world. Events spiraled beyond what even Calidor expected or could control. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, what I said should not be dismissed as prattle or venting. Even after everything that's happened, not everyone will be happy to have us as friends. You can count on the governments of the world turning against us with a vengeance. The diclonius, whom they hoped to control, have become an uncontrollable weapon that they can no longer use to control their people. For them, the diclonius genie is free and there's no way to put it back. Because of that failure to control the diclonius, they will seek to destroy you and any who seek to make peace with you. They cannot allow a species with more power than they have to exist. Myra can vouch for that fact, having felt their venom before."

"They will not do that, not while I have breath in me," Kohta declared. "It's that damnable hatred that allowed a fiend like Calidor to come into our world in the first place. We can't let that happen again."

"But she has a point," Lucy admitted, impressed by Yuka's newfound wisdom and candor. "Your imprisonment has given you a distinctive insight into the darkness of human society and soul that I do not have, Yuka. As much as I would like to think that the world would finally leave us alone in peace, I know down deep that it will not happen. As you said, some people can and will become our allies. The people on this ship prove it can happen. But a larger number of them, most of them in the governments, will try to destroy us since they cannot control us." Lucy's anger bubbled at the thought. "So what do I do? I can't change my mind and choose death after I've chosen life."

Yuka stared into Lucy's eyes. "You didn't make the wrong decision by choosing life, Lucy," Yuka stated. "It just isn't right to destroy the righteous with the wicked and you realized that. But if I were in your position, I'd make them understand in no uncertain terms that no unjustified violence will be tolerated against the diclonius. They have to be made to understand that it's not in their best interest to persecute the diclonius. But that's just me."

"That's easier said than done," Lucy growled. "So we're right back where we started. All that shit we gone through was for nothing."

"Not so, Lucy," Kohta interjected. "We may be in the same situation we had before with humans hating us. But this time, we don't have the Fury making us the murdering monsters that the humans portrayed us as. Now we have mastered those uncontrollable impulses that drove us to extreme violence, and purged the darkness that caused it. The humans who turn on us, however, have not conquered their own dark hearts as we did, and that will be the cause of their downfall, not us. They will destroy themselves with their own evil."

"You really think so?" Lucy asked.

"I know so," Kohta returned confidently. "So don't give it a second thought. I have not regretted a single thing, except for letting Yuka get caught up in this sordid cluster-fuck."

"KOHTA!" Yuka chided. "Watch that language! You know better than to use that kind of language around me."

With that outburst, Kohta knew Yuka had returned for good. A broad smile crossed his face. "At last, you're finally back, Yuka!" he crowed. He took her hand and leaned close, kissing her on the cheek. "I love you, Yuka. Let's not ever fight again like that, ever."

Without warning, Yuka planted a passionate kiss right on Kohta's lips, not caring that Lucy was watching. When the kiss ended, she licked her lips and smiled. "I love you, too, Kohta."

"What was that for?" Kohta asked, surprised by her rashness.

"I had to get at least one kiss, just to know what it would be like," Yuka murmured, staring into his eye with not an inch between their faces. "Besides, I know for sure now that your love as a lover is for Lucy, not me." He started to speak when she put her finger to his lips, shushing him. "Don't say a word, Kohta. It's okay. I know that you're mated with Lucy in more ways than I can comprehend anyway. One day, I will find my Rayden the same way you found your Lucy." She backed away and turned to Lucy, whose red face said everything. "He's all yours, Lucy." Yuka declared. "I had to get one last kiss to make sure he loved you best, and he does. Besides, I gave up Kohta as my lover in Calidor's crystal prison. My desire to have Kohta as a husband is how Calidor subdued me. Once I let go of Kohta as my lover, I came to my senses and realized how my own stubbornness and jealousy contributed to my imprisonment. It also allowed me to see my place in this new world."

"And what place is that?" Lucy asked.

"It's beside you and Kohta as your friend," Yuka stated. "Since the first time I saw you at the beach, I've considered you a rival for Kohta's affections. It took me going to hell and back to see the folly of that stupid desire. For that, I am truly sorry. Friends?" Yuka offered her hand to Lucy.

Lucy shook Yuka's hand solemnly. "Yes, Yuka…we're friends. Otherwise, I wouldn't have helped Kohta go to such lengths to get you back."

"I'm well aware of that," Yuka stated. "All I ask is that you and Kohta to be patient with me. I'm still dealing with what happened to me and at times, I might explode like I did earlier. I don't really mean anything by it. I just need to vent at times to keep from overloading. You understand, don't you?"

"Better than you know," Lucy admitted with a smile.

Nana, who had silently watched the entire conversation from the background, asked, "So does this mean we are a family again?"

Kohta smiled, waving her over. "Yes, Nana…we're a family again. And if I have anything to say about it, I intend to rebuild the Kaeda House wherever we decide to settle."

"I'd like that," Yuka murmured. "I miss it."

"So do I," Nana replied. "I have to go tell Mayu. She'll be thrilled."

"You do that," Lucy said. Nana took off to tell Mayu the news, her excitement evident as she left. Lucy sighed and looked back to Kohta. "How are you feeling, Kohta?" she asked.

"Weak," Kohta stated. "How long was I out this time?"

"A week," Lucy stated.

"How long have you been up and around, Yuka?" Kohta asked.

"Three and a half days," Yuka stated. "I'm still tipsy for being in a coma for so long. But Sen and Kagami are helping me with my physical therapy."

"Good," Kohta chimed. "Did you know that Kagami is your cousin, Yuka?"

Yuka's eyes grew wide, and then she shook her head in disbelief. "You're making fun of me again, Kohta. There's no way Kagami is my cousin."

"Not so," Kohta declared. "Her mother was my grandmother's sister, and that makes her our cousin. Akira confirmed the connection himself before he passed on."

"He's dead?" Yuka asked, genuinely surprised at the news.

"I'm afraid so," Kohta murmured. "I was there when it happened. The cancer he had killed him. It wasn't anything we could do to stop it."

"I don't remember much about him," Yuka stated. "Except that he was like Lucy, that he treated me somehow, and that he was such a nice old man…so wise and caring in his demeanor."

"That he was," Lucy agreed. As she spoke, Dr. Ravenclaw walked in.

"Ah…finally awake I see," Ravenclaw said to Kohta. "How are you feeling now, Master Kohta?" He checked Kohta's pulse on the wrist as he spoke.

"Weak, and very hungry," Kohta stated. "I was told I was out a week this time."

"That's right, Master Kohta," Ravenclaw stated. "Frankly, I'm surprised you're not dead. For a while there, it looked like you weren't going to make it. But something in you refused to let you die…probably Lucy's blood refusing to let you go."

"Very likely," Kohta stated. "What about my eye, Doctor? Is there anything we can do about it? Having just one eye has my equilibrium all screwed up. Everything feels like it's slanted."

"Not much we could do for it," Ravenclaw stated. "The eye was burst when Calidor's claw apparently raked your face. But don't worry about it. While you were out, we fitted you with a cybernetic eye. It's still too soon to uncover it, though. The eye socket needs to heal first before we can let you use it."

"So I'm going to be like Bandoh," Kohta stated.

"If you are talking about cybernetic implants, yes," Ravenclaw stated. "In addition to the eye, we had to fit you with a cybernetic leg as well. The damage you took in that last attack wrecked your left leg." Kohta gasped as Ravenclaw pulled the blanket back, showing him a cybernetic leg that started just below the waist. It still had all the mechanism open. "The blast shattered your leg Kohta and we had to amputate before it got infected and killed you. When we're sure that the mechanism is going to work for you, we'll cover it up with a new polymer we developed that feels just like real skin and muscle."

"My god," Yuka cried in horror. "Will he be able to walk, Doctor?"

"Of course," Ravenclaw answered with a smile. "When we're done, it will look and feel like a flesh and bone leg for him. We just need to make sure the settings are correct before we close it up. But Kohta will be able to walk around like nothing ever happened."

Kohta stared at the mechanical leg in astonished fascination. He could feel it as he tried to move it. "I can feel it, doctor. How did you do that?"

"Nerve interfaces with the equipment," Ravenclaw stated. "This leg meshes with your nervous system, and is activated just as if your real leg were there. But we still have to set the thing so that it matches your other leg. We don't want you to tear the other leg up because it can't keep up, now do we?"

Kohta smiled. "I guess not," he said. "Did you do anything else while I was out that I should know about?"

"No, Master Kohta," Ravenclaw said as he probed Kohta's bandaged left arm. "There were some broken bones we set, but no other cybernetic enhancements. Everything else is in fair condition considering you and Lucy had the world's largest rumble with an Alpha Chaos Lord. Ahhh…good, the fracture in this arm is healing quickly." He then started probing Kohta's bandaged chest with his fingers.

"What are you doing?" Lucy asked.

"Checking his ribs," Ravenclaw declared. "He had eight broken ribs when he was brought back on board. I'm just making sure they're healing properly." Kohta groaned when Ravenclaw pressed on his right side under his arm. "That still hurts?" Ravenclaw asked.

"Duh…yeah," Kohta moaned. "Didn't you hear me groan when you touched it?"

"Sorry, Master Kohta," Ravenclaw answered. "These ribs seem to be healing at a fantastic rate, but they're not completely healed up yet. Don't do anything strenuous for another week."

"Like what, Doctor?" Kohta returned. "Dance a gig?"

Ravenclaw chuckled at the comment. "Glad to see your sense of humor is intact. Just take it easy for a few more days…which means no running, jumping, or fighting inter-dimensional monsters, okay?"

Kohta gave him a thumbs-up. "Got it…But can I get something to eat and drink? I'm starving and my mouth feels like I have the entire Sahara Desert in it."

"Of course, Master Kohta," Ravenclaw said as Captain Fargo and Captain Guildo entered the room.

"How's our boy?" Fargo asked.

"Healing like a champ, Captain," Ravenclaw answered. "But he still needs some rest, at least until we finalize the settings on his leg and eye."

"I'll be just fine if I can get something to eat," Kohta called out.

"Good," Fargo chimed. "…very good indeed."

"What brings you here, Captain?" Lucy demanded.

"The conference with the remaining world leaders will be ready in an hour," Guildo stated. "We came down to see if Master Kohta would be up to participating in it."

"Like I said, get me something to eat, and I'll be ready to take on anyone," Kohta answered, making his desire clearly known.

"Excellent," Fargo stated. "In that case, we'll make sure that you get your well-deserved meal before the meeting."

"I'd like that," Kohta answered, noticing Nana and Ravenclaw leaving with a couple of nurses. "What is this meeting about?"

"To let the world know that we aren't to be fucked with," Lucy stated coldly. "We'll accept anyone who accepts us, but I'm not holding my breath on that."

"Ohh," Kohta murmured. "We're going to see who our real friends are now, aren't we?"

"Right…Master Kohta," Guildo stated. "…and hopefully keep them from doing something everyone will regret. I'm tired of being on the run."

"Aren't we all," Fargo agreed. "We'll come get you when it's time."

"Okay," Kohta stated as Fargo and Guildo walked out of the infirmary. Kohta looked at Lucy and shook his head sadly. "I don't see this turning out well, Lucy. Yuka is right. The same sons of bitches that pushed us to the brink may still be out there and until they're dead, we will not have the peace we desperately want."

"We shall see," Lucy stated icily. "If they know what's best for them, they'll hide because I intend to let the whole world know who they are and that they are responsible for pushing the world to the edge of annihilation. Maybe if the good people out there realize that these fucks are out to kill them, they'll take action. But make no mistake. I'm not going to back down. The world is what we make of it, Kohta. We will have the peace we want and deserve."

"Kohta…please don't curse," Yuka chided. "You have to set a good example as King of your people now."

"Yes, Yuka," Kohta replied with a smile. "I'll try…but it's so hard not to after everything that's happened."

"Don't try…do it," Yuka ordered. "Please?"

Hearing the plea from Yuka, Kohta sighed. "Okay, Yuka…for you I'll do it."

"Thank you," Yuka replied, giving him a sisterly hug. She suddenly rose and slowly walked around the bed to Lucy, holding on to the bed for stability. She looked down at Lucy and gave her a sisterly hug without warning. "Thank you for saving me, Lucy. As far as I'm concerned, you've earned your place with Kohta. Take good care of my boy and keep him in line."

The move stunned Lucy. She hesitantly returned the embrace, feeling Yuka's acceptance of her. "You're welcome, Yuka," Lucy whispered, feeling emotions rising in her that puzzled her. She pushed Yuka back gently and looked her in the eye. "Why did you do that? Do you now love and accept me too after everything that's happened?"

Yuka settled on the edge of the bed in front of Lucy. "Yes Lucy…Nyu, Kaeda, whatever it is that you want to be called, I do accept you and love you as a sister. All we have is each other now. We are a family and must not let anything destroy it…ever."

Tears slowly dripped from Lucy's eyes. "I appreciate it. Thank you, Yuka. I promise to give you as much space as you want. You've earned it. And I sincerely hope you find your soul mate again."

Yuka nodded with a troubled sigh. "So do I," she murmured. Seconds later, Ravenclaw, Nana, and a nurse returned with food for Kohta. When she saw it, she said, "Now we should let Kohta eat. He needs it." Lucy nodded and helped Yuka to a chair so Kohta could eat the modest meal of vegetable soup, crackers, and water brought to him.

"Well start you off with soup, Master Kohta," Ravenclaw announced. "If you can tolerate it, we'll go from there."

"Soup's fine," Kohta said, taking the tray of soup and crackers from Nana. "…As long as it's something to eat." He sampled the soup as Ravenclaw and Nana watched anxiously. A smile crossed his lips after he swallowed the spoonful of soup. "Hmmm, that's some good soup," Kohta chimed. "It's either really good or I'm really hungry. Either way, good job guys."

"Splendid," Ravenclaw crowed. "Just take your time eating it, Master Kohta. There's no rush."

"I intend to," Kohta stated categorically. He then crushed some crackers into the soup and stirred them in before starting to eat in earnest.

"I'll be back when it's time for the meeting," Ravenclaw stated. "Until then, if you need anything, Nana will be more than helpful to you. She's become quite the useful assistant to me, if you know what I mean."

"I certainly do," Kohta replied. "She's always been that way; even if she didn't know how to do something, she would try and give it her all."

Nana blushed and tucked her head. "I always want to be helpful to those I love. Besides, I like helping people. It makes me feel like I belong."

Ravenclaw smiled and patted Nana on the shoulder. "You're a good girl, Nana. Keep an eye on them for me, okay?"

"Yes, Doctor," Nana beamed with delight. With that, Ravenclaw left the infirmary, leaving her, Kohta, Lucy, Yuka, and a couple of nurses behind to watch over Kohta while he ate his meal in peace before the conference that would show who their friends and enemies were around the world.

A/N: Yuka offers a dire prediction of what faces Lucy and Kohta in the future, but makes her own peace with Lucy and Kohta in the process. Will the world turn on the diclonius as Yuka suggests after the smoke clears from the calamity that swept the world, or will they accept the diclonius as new brothers and sisters of humanity? What will the conference with the remaining world leaders bring to Lucy and Kohta? Will that conference prove Yuka's dark prophecy true or will it show that Lucy's choice to save humanity from death was the right one? Read on to find out as this epic tale shortly comes to a close.

As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	40. Chapter 40 Lucy's Ultimatum

Chapter 40

Lucy's Ultimatum

In Fargo's conference room an hour after Kohta had his soup in the infirmary, Lucy sat at the end of a large table facing a bank of blank view screens that covered the entire far wall. Kohta sat at her right hand on the end of the table. Captain Fargo sat to Lucy's left while Captain Guildo sat to Kohta's right at the table. Lined up down the left side of the table beyond Fargo were Fargo's first mate Chris, the Japanese Emperor Taro Watanabe sitting in a wheelchair, Saito Murata, Fargo's intelligence chief Elle Eldritch and her second officer Mina, Dr. Horace Ravenclaw, security chief Phillip Zubiar, Tao, Li Mei, and the Chimera's communications chief James Seiken. On the right side of the table on Guildo's right sat his first mate, Jericho, Kagami Nariko, Dr. Myra Sorano, Dr. Quang Le, Charlene Kusanagi, Sen Osabi, Tsang, and the Chimera's satellite officer Ron Gunnar.

"Are we ready?" Lucy asked. "I want to get this over with as quickly as possible."

"Just a few more moments, Lucy," Ron called out as his fingers danced over the computer console at his station on the end of the table near the screen.

"I have locked in their signals," James announced. "Ron…anytime you're ready."

"Anytime you're ready, Lucy," Ron stated.

"Who're we dealing with?" Lucy asked.

"We have the leaders of the United Stated, the Russian Federation, China, and India," Fargo announced, "along with the leaders of North and South Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Miramar, Indonesia, Australia, the European Union…primarily from England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden. Israel, Egypt, and Iran are also online with us. We haven't been able to contact many of the other Mideast and African or the Central and South American countries. They may not be able to make contact or don't want to have anything to do with us. Which it is, I cannot say because I don't know."

"Makes no difference," Lucy returned coldly. "They will soon get the message, Captain."

"I'm sure they will," Fargo agreed. "Are you ready to talk to them?"

"Not really, but put them on anyway," Lucy ordered. Ron and James acknowledged the order and the bank of screens lit up with the images of twenty different locations, each with a government official sitting behind a desk with some attendants, and other government, and military officials standing to the sides and behind the desks. Lucy scanned the screens coldly as the President of the United States in the center screen abruptly rose and walked around to the front of his desk.

"Do I have the honor of addressing Queen Lucy of the diclonius?" he asked politely as the other world leaders looked on in silence.

"You do," Lucy answered coldly. "What do you want?"

The President motioned to someone off camera. The diclonius named Samuel Wallace walked into view and stood by the President as he briefly placed his arm around Samuel. "I would like you to meet a friend of mine: Samuel Wallace," the President answered. "He's one of you and saved my life when my inner circle turned on me when I refused to launch a genocidal campaign against the rampaging diclonius in our country. And more importantly, the invaluable information he provided to me about you and your mission turned out to be extremely accurate. The moment you defeated your renegade King and apparently restored the balance to the hive mind of your people, the diclonius in our country ceased to rampage against the humans here. Furthermore, with the destruction of that King, the madness he apparently infected our human populations with vanished." The President bowed formally to Lucy, saying, "I want to thank you for saving our country and the world from extinction. Moreover, on behalf of my country and the world, I want apologize for the abominable treatment of your people that brought us to the brink of annihilation. We say we abhor this kind of racist genocidal mentality, but our actions proved us hypocrites. Please forgive us, your majesty. There's no excuse for the inhuman and barbaric treatment you and your people received."

"You're correct on that, Mr. President," Lucy returned icily. "There's no excuse. But I cannot help but to think that you don't speak for everyone in this. I see nineteen other screens here with officials looking at me, some of which I can tell want my head on a plate and my entire species dead. What is your answer to that?"

"I cannot answer for them," the President answered. "They must make their own peace with you. But I can say that I shall not stop until everyone ceases to hate and despise your people."

"Strong words, Mr. President," Kohta called out. "But how much are you really in control of your country? Surely, the people who tried to take you out will not stop until you are dead. Sitting right here at this table is the sole survivor of the Japanese government: Emperor Watanabe. He tried to stop the madness in Japan before it exploded, but failed. The military and government factions who wanted to control or destroy the diclonius launched a coup there, assassinating the Prime Minister, and nearly got the Emperor in the process. Those same rascals are also responsible for the nuking of Japanese cities. Do you truly think that the same sons of bitches who tried to get you will stop their genocidal madness against our people? You have stood in their way and they always finish what they start unless they're neutralized completely. So I ask you again, are you truly in charge of the United States enough right now to stop these assassins?"

The President's face fell. "You are Queen Lucy's King, Master Kohta?"

"I am, Mr. President," Kohta declared. "Lucy and I are one in ways none of you can comprehend. You do not realize how close to extinction this world really came; no one does. Lucy and I, with the help of our family, friends, and every diclonius soul on this planet kept an inter-dimensional being of vast dark destructive power from consuming the entire planet. This thing is what caused the madness in our people first, and then in your human populations at the height of this catastrophe. It took everything the diclonius race could muster through us to destroy this dark Chaos Lord. If you doubt my words, then look at my condition and the condition of your own people. As you admitted, the moment we defeated Calidor, the madness lifted from everyone and the bloodstorm ceased." Kohta sighed deeply, having exhausted himself with his animated explanation.

Lucy leaned over and asked, "Are you all right, Kohta?"

"God I'm so tired," Kohta moaned. "But we have to make them understand the peril we saved them from."

Lucy patted Kohta on the arm. "We will," she said. Turning her attention to the President and the other leaders, she announced, "Everything Kohta has said is true. But as I can see from some of your reactions, you don't believe us. Mr. President, answer Kohta's question. Are you in full control of your country and people?"

"Forgive me if I offended you somehow, Master Kohta," the President stated. "But you must understand. The world literally went to shit when Japan exploded and we're still picking up the pieces."

"Answer the question," Lucy demanded.

"You want the brutal truth?" the President asked.

"Yes," Lucy returned icily. "We can take it."

"Not completely," the President stated. "This calamity has split my administration apart. A third of it is actively trying to exterminate your people and anyone friendly to you. The other two-thirds of my administration are trying to stop the genocide. As much as I hate to admit it, we have another civil war raging in our streets because of this. I have issued the order to hunt down the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Secretary of Defense, the Intelligence chiefs of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the CIA, and NSA, and those loyal to them to bring them to justice. We also are hunting for those in SHIVA and ARGUS who helped to implement this catastrophe. From what I understand, the same people who tried to get rid of me hijacked those groups as well. We intend to try them for crimes against humanity for what they've done to your people."

"Is there any idea of how your general population feels about us?" Kohta asked.

"I don't know, Master Kohta," the President answered plainly. "My intelligence about the general population is very limited at this time because of our intelligence chiefs betraying us. I have no idea how they are taking this. But I must believe that the people will not resort to blind hatred of your people because of this incident. It might be the idealist in me."

"I see," Lucy murmured. "So you don't know shit, nor do you have much control over anything in your country."

"I must admit you are correct in your assessment, your majesty," the President replied. "But we're working to correct this and regain order. We're presently constructing safe areas for your people."

"Hold on," Emperor Watanabe called out. "I do not like the sound of that, Mr. President."

"Emperor Watanabe, what's wrong with constructing safe areas where the Queen's people can live unmolested?" the President asked.

"I have two words for you, Mr. President," the Emperor retorted. "…concentration camp. You're falling into the same trap that my people did, as did yours in World War II when they set up internment centers in the US for those of Japanese descent, or like when your government forcibly relocated your indigenous Native American populations onto reservations in your early history. Hitler did the same thing to the undesirables in his sphere of influence. The diclonius are not a conquered people. They are conquerors. But now that they have purged their hive mind of the poisonous Fury that drove them to their murderous frenzies, they have chosen not to be conquerors of humanity, but to live in peace with them. You cannot force these people to go to so-called safe areas. All that will do is make it easier for those who want the diclonius dead to dispose of them, and create even more animosity between us and them. So don't do this. They are perfectly capable of setting up their own safe-havens. Let them do it if they want, but don't fall into the same trap as our ancestors did and try to force the diclonius into these so-called safe areas. We have a choice here, just as the Queen had a choice about whether we all lived or died at the hands of that monster, Calidor. She chose life and I say we should do the same."

"Good Lord," the President moaned, finally understanding the Emperor's argument. "I'm falling right into the hands of those who want to kill the diclonius by setting up safe areas for them. Damn it! All right, you convince me, your highness. We will negotiate with Queen Lucy and her people for what they desire. You will not take what you want from us by force; will you, your majesty?"

"After everything that's been said, you have the gall to ask that?" Lucy snapped. "You really are pathetic. You haven't even asked what we want yet. There's only one thing I want and that's for you and your wretched human race to leave my people alone in peace. We're not in the business of taking your petty things. We don't want them, nor need them. If you want to be our friend, we will not refuse your friendship, but I'll not tolerate your kind attacking us without provocation or adequate reason. I've let all my people know that they are not to attack any human unless it is a life or death situation for them. We have the right to defend ourselves. If one of us breaks this law and hurts or kills a human out of malice, I will deal with that diclonius personally. My will is supreme in the diclonius world. What do we want? We want to walk down the street and not be spit upon, called monster, freak, or any other name. We will not tolerate being beaten or molested in any way by anyone anymore. We want the right to exist, to be left alone to live in peace, and not be hated because we're different from other humans. Is that so much to ask?

"All my life I've been hated and abused by humans, all because of what I am. Well let me tell you all what I am. Up until a few months ago before this thing went nuts, I was just an experiment in the Institute for Diclonius Research in Kamakura, Japan…a guinea pig for the worst evils of both the human and diclonius worlds. I was but a diclonius girl trapped and tortured merely because of what I was. The only person to show me any kindness before my captivity was Kohta. But now I'm the Queen of every Diclonius on this planet, and the guardian of our Collective hive mind with the King of my choice sitting at my side. My mind and his mind are connected to every living diclonius on this planet, so when one of my people suffers at the hands of a human, I feel it and so does Kohta. We diclonius are no longer going to be pawns and fodder for experiments of your kind. We're freeing ourselves from the shackles you humans put upon us and stand as a unique people. After 1700 years of constant conflict with humans, we are weary with contending for our very existence with you and want peace with you humans because whether you want to admit it or not, we are related as a species and need each other. The fighting and bloodshed must end between us if humanity is to survive. I'm willing to stop the senseless slaughter of innocents if you are. We can live in peace with you, but make no mistake, we will defend ourselves with deadly force if necessary.

"Now if you are truly interested in making peace with me and my people, we can help you ferret out these agents of destruction who are trying to destroy both you and us. So, Mr. President, and the rest of you who're watching, what say you: peace or no. If you do not intend at least to try to make peace with us, then you just as well shut off your goddamned cameras because I have no intention of pleading with any of you about this issue. For those of you who don't want peace with us, I have only one thing to say to you: leave us the fuck alone or you're dead meat. We will kill you if you persist in hunting us like fucking animals. We're not bowing to anyone's will anymore. What do you say to that?" The screens showing the governments officials of England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands went dark as they abandoned the peace conference without a single word. Only Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland remained online. Lucy immediately noticed the screens when they went dark and scowled. "Seems most of Europe doesn't want to have anything to do with us," she growled. "That's fine by me. I didn't want to deal with those fucks anyway. I know exactly why they didn't want to deal with me. Now how about the rest of you; what do you say?"

"I'm shocked by my European compatriots abandoning these proceedings," the President replied instantly. "Apparently they don't seem to understand the importance of this alliance. This will not go unchallenged, I promise you. But as for us in America, I say that you have the friendship of the part of the United States that I'm still in command of, your majesty. Your man Samuel has shown me how good your people can be when not tormented by the Fury that you so recently purged from your Collective mind. We will accept your offer of help to find these traitors to world peace and bring them to justice. And we'll do everything we can to give you the peace you want. You have my word on it."

"Thank you, Mr. President," Lucy answered with a slight smile. "At least there's one human among you who has some good sense; now how about the rest of you?"

The Russian Prime Minister spoke up in English with a heavy Russian accent, "Da, Comrade Lucy…Russia wishes friendship with you and your people. Like the United States, we are currently putting down the rogue elements in our country that threaten to destroy the peace with your people. We Russians are smart enough to realize where the true power now lies and that is with you, Comrade Lucy. You'll have peace within our borders. Furthermore, we will put pressure on the European Union to make peace with you. It is stupid for them to have abandoned these proceedings."

The Chinese Prime Minister answered next. "We concur with our esteemed Russian counterparts, you majesty. It was folly for the powers of western Europe to abandon these proceedings. We too will apply diplomatic and economic pressure on them to get them to come back to the table with you. As for our answer to you, it is yes. Peace you have with us. We know of the Dark Chaos Lord you destroyed, your majesty, and congratulate you on your victory." He stepped out behind of his desk and bowed to Lucy. "We honor your friendship and give our loyalty to you. Your people will have safe haven within our people. And those in our midst who have contributed to this calamity by their actions will be dealt with most severely. You saved our people from the dark insanity by killing the Dark Lord. We are in your debt forever. Thank you."

The Indian President continued the string of nations pledging peace to Lucy and her people, and pledged to help hunt down those responsible for the disaster. The Australian President mirrored the Indian president's pledge, as did both North and South Korea along with every nation in Southeast Asia except for Indonesia, who followed the western European example by cutting their cameras off on their end.

The Swiss Prime Minister spoke up after the Indonesian government left the table. "Queen Lucy, Switzerland stands with you as a friend, and furthermore, we declare our country a safe-haven for you people within the European Union. Our people have always been a peaceful people and tolerant of others. I know your people have much they can offer us, if as you put it, we can just let them be in peace. You have my word that your people will be welcome and accepted in our nation, regardless of what our neighbors think. I must therefore apologize for my neighbors abandonment of this history-making conference. I can't fathom after everything that's happened why they don't want to have you as a friend. Your actions saved humanity from tearing itself to pieces. I see their leaving the table without so much as an explanation as the height of rudeness and insult."

Lucy brushed them off, saying, "Don't give them a second thought. They didn't want peace with us because many of them are in part responsible for this calamity and don't want to face up to it. They will pay for their sins…the ones who are truly responsible for causing this shit. The rest of the people of Europe who didn't know about it just need to leave us alone. If they do that, it'll be all right with me. I also thank you for pledging your country as a safe haven for my people in that part of the world. We'll be making use of your good will gesture since the rest of Europe still hates our guts."

"You're people are welcome in our country," the Swiss Prime Minister replied. "I only wish we could do more."

"What you've done is a good start," Kohta declared. "Thank you. It helps to have a safe place to go where one can walk down the street unmolested."

"You're welcome, your highness," the Swiss Prime Minister answered. "We will be ready to greet them with open hands of friendship."

"We shall see," Lucy replied coolly.

The Israeli Prime Minister spoke up next while the Israeli President stood to his left in the background. "Queen Lucy," he said, "…our people know the sting of the type of persecution you spoke of. You have our unwavering support."

"Good," Lucy stated, "The first thing you can do is to punish those within your government and military who were experimenting on my people. Until I see your government dismantle your diclonius warfare program and those who were behind it neutralized, we will not have peace. Your country was one of the worst offenders and you know it, so don't give me this bullshit that you didn't know anything about it."

The Israeli Prime Minister's face fell dramatically. "I assure you that I didn't know anything about it, but we will find out who they are and deal with them."

"Don't lie to us, Mr. Prime Minister," Kohta snapped. "This is not the time or place to be engaging in a cover-up. We know all about your fucking diclonius research programs and how many diclonius you have prisoner. There's no point in denying it. That goes for everyone else, too. Anywhere there are diclonius captives being experimented upon, we know about it through our hive mind. You can't hide it from us."

The Israeli Prime Minister's face flushed as his eyes narrowed. "This is not the way to make friends of the Israeli people," he cautioned.

"It is not the Israeli people that I have a problem with," Lucy replied viciously. "It is you and your friends who think my brothers and sisters are dangerous animals to be experimented upon and killed. The Israeli people do not have my ire…you do by lying to me and everyone else in this conference. At least the US admitted to the research and is taking steps to stop this madness."

"How do you know?" the Israeli Prime Minister snapped. "They could be lying to you too."

"Didn't you hear what Kohta said, you twit?" Lucy retorted. "We know because of our hive mind. We know the US President is not lying because we have sensed our people being freed from their imprisonment as we speak. You, on the other hand, still hold my brothers and sisters in chains. They're being experimented upon as I speak! I can feel their terror and pain as your guns test their vector strength even now. You have the opportunity to make this right and stop this inhuman treatment of my people right now. Even if you told the truth about not knowing, you now know and must follow through on your promise to stop this insanity and hold those who did it responsible. Until we see the dismantling of your diclonius research program, we will not have peace with your government. With the Israeli people who don't know, I am much more inclined to live and let live with them, but not with your government. Your hands are covered in the blood of my brothers and sisters. So we'll be watching to see if you truly follow through on this information."

"That goes for everyone else as well," Kohta declared, "…especially the US, Russia, China, and India. We know that all of you were doing similar research to what they were doing at the Institute in Kamakura in order to turn our people into assassins and weapons of mass destruction under your control. It's this evil desire to control our power that created this mess. Now we are taking that control away from you. The diclonius can and will help humanity to rise above this and to new heights, but only if you allow us freedom to help you without interference. We can live in peace with our human brothers and sisters. The people on this ship prove that fact. But we're not going to give you the benefit of the doubt. It is your people that wronged us, not the other way around. You must earn our trust by hunting down these elements who wish to destroy us and you in the process."

"Well spoken, Comrade Kohta, Comrade Lucy," the Russian Prime Minister called out. "Russia is already taking action to deal with this. We will not allow these traitors to humanity to live within our borders and provide to you proof of their punishments."

"You speak with great wisdom, Master Kohta," the Chinese Prime Minister declared. "We see your point and will earn your trust by purging these traitorous elements from our midst immediately."

The US President and the other world leaders still online agreed with Kohta's demand, pledging to follow through on purging the ones responsible for the diclonius genocide from their ranks. However, the Israeli Prime Minister scowled at the demand, incensed that Kohta and Lucy had caught him in a lie. "How dare you speak to me that way," he snapped. "I'm the Prime Minister of Israel. I will not submit our people to your will. We have the right to defend ourselves against any and every aggressor, including you and your freakish people."

"That doesn't give you the right to deny our people our human rights!" Kohta retorted. "We have no desire to conquer or destroy your people, or even take over your fucking country. All we want is for you to cease and desist in experimenting on our people, which is the very same thing Hitler did to your people. You were the one who brought it up, Mr. Prime Minister. What you are doing to our people is no different from what Hitler did to yours. Your country is committing a holocaust against the diclonius with your inhuman experimentation and extermination of them and we're not going to stand for it any longer."

The Israeli Prime Minister's face grew beet red with rage. "You stupid son of a bitch…you know nothing. Human rights are for humans, not diclonius freaks. They'll kill us all and you as well. We have to protect ourselves at all costs."

"No, you're the one being stupid," Kohta balked. "You think I am human because I don't look like a diclonius? Think again, you lying prick."

"But you look human," the Prime Minister stammered.

"I am not a human, not by your definition!" Kohta shouted, slamming his left fist on the table. "Yes, initially, I was born human, but because of what fucking governments like yours have done to the diclonius, I am now a hybrid being…a mix of human and diclonius; neither fully human or fully diclonius, but a combination of the two. Lucy saved my life with a massive transfusion of her blood that altered me genetically, making me one of them; so what you do to them, you do to me."

"Save your breath, Kohta," Lucy stated icily. "He's consumed with his hate and not going to listen, nor dismantle the diclonius research program they have. Are you, Mr. Prime Minister?"

"No," the Prime Minster answered furiously. "I'm not going to allow our only weapon against an aggressor species like yours to be taken from us. That's utter insanity."

"No," Lucy hissed icily, "what you're doing is utter insanity. I will not allow my people or those humans your government is oppressing to submit to such insanity." Lucy's eyes grew bright maroon as she concentrated. The Israeli Prime Minister suddenly clenched his chest, screaming in pain before he slumped dead over his desk. The Israeli President rushed forward, checking the Prime Minister's pulse.

"Oh my god," the Israeli President breathed. "He's dead." He looked up at the view screen on his end, seeing Lucy's grim face. "Did you do that? Did you kill him, your majesty?"

"And you are?" Lucy asked coldly.

"I'm Aaron Rendor, President of Israel," the Israeli President replied. "Did you kill him?"

"Yes," Lucy answered deliberately. "I stopped his heart by blocking the nerve impulses to it to silence his lying mouth. But to show you that I'm not the monster your Prime Minister thinks I am…" Once again, she concentrated and the Prime Minister gasped, coughing violently as he woke.

The Israeli President stared in astonishment at the Prime Minister, and then at Lucy on the screen. "How did you do that?" President Rendor asked as the aids came to the Prime Minister's assistance, checking him over.

"President Rendor," Lucy replied slowly and deliberately. "All my life, I have been forced to kill in order to survive because of louts like him. But I am weary of the constant bloodshed. I am Queen of all the Diclonius and can reach anyone on the planet with my vectors because of it, whether they are human or diclonius. Wherever the diclonius are, so am I. Yet you wonder why I killed him and then brought him back."

"The thought occurred to me," President Rendor asked, glancing at the glassy-eyed Prime Minister as he moaned.

"It's not my wish to kill anyone anymore, human or diclonius, even your treacherous Prime Minister," Lucy stated. "But I do want justice for the wrongs inflicted upon us. Your Prime Minister is one of those people who are responsible for the calamity that's befallen us. He knew of the diclonius research being conducted by your black operations military and intelligence services and oversaw it personally. You, however, did not know of it, which is why I am still talking with you. I did what I did to him so you wouldn't suffer what happened to Emperor Watanabe. You should take him into custody right now and try him for crimes against my people and yours." Turning her attention to the Prime Minister, she said, "Prime Minister…I'm not someone you or your cronies should fuck with. Tell your President the truth about the diclonius research you've been conducting behind their backs. Tell him now or shall I end your miserable life right now?"

"Is there any truth to these accusations," President Rendor asked the Prime Minister.

"Go to hell, you fucking miserable freak bitch, along with all of your infernal demon brood," the Israeli Prime Minister cursed weakly. "You will never dominate humanity. Never! We will make sure of that."

"There is your answer, Mr. President," Lucy declared icily. "He has as much admitted it. That very mentality has brought the world to the brink of annihilation. It has never been my intention to dominate anyone. All I ever wanted is to be left alone with Kohta in peace, not to rule a world of humans who hate me, and everyone like me. Now you have a choice, Mr. President…arrest him for crimes against my people and yours or allow me to execute him now. It is your choice. But I'm not going to kill him without your permission. I would just as well not have to dirty my hands with his putrid blood. I'm tired of dealing with these sons of bitches. I'd much rather see your people execute justice for us since he's one of your people. It would help to justify my actions in saving everyone from Calidor's poison."

President Rendor looked down at the Prime Minister with growing disgust at the poisonous hatred emanating from the Prime Minister. "I can't believe that my own people are doing the same thing to the diclonius that Hitler did to us." He turned back to Lucy. "I was a victim of Hitler's atrocities at Dachau, so I can sympathize with the plight of your people, your majesty. If I hadn't seen his reaction to you myself, I would have called you crazy. But it cannot be denied. He freely admits it. I feel so betrayed by this." President Rendor's face turned stern as he called to his guards. When his guards came in, he ordered, "Take the Prime Minister into custody. The charge is high treason against the Israeli people, Queen Lucy and her people, and humanity. He is to be kept in solitary confinement until his trial for crimes against Israel and humanity. We will find out how deep this rot goes."

"Yes sir," the captain replied swiftly as he and two of his men moved on the Prime Minister.

"No…it is you who have betrayed humanity," the Prime Minister shouted, pulling a 9-millimeter Glock pistol out of his coat, pointing it at Rendor. "You will die for your treason against humanity."

"He has a gun!" the captain shouted, throwing himself between President Rendor and the Prime Minister as the Prime Minister's gun discharged. The captain took the bullet in the chest as the other guards unloaded their pistols into the Prime Minister, with the last bullet striking him in the forehead, blowing his brains all over the back wall.

"Captain!" President Rendor cried, catching him as he fell to the floor. The captain coughed blood onto the Israeli President's shirt. "Oh god no," President Rendor moaned while pressing down on the captain's chest wound. "Derek, talk to me."

"Are you okay, sir," Derek, the guard captain wheezed.

"Yes, you saved my life," President Rendor replied, tears dripping.

"God be praised," Derek moaned with his last breath hissing between his teeth.

"God damn it!" President Rendor cursed. "It wasn't supposed to be like this! I'm going to get those fucks who did this if it's the last thing I do! Is the Prime Minister dead?"

"Yes sir," one of the guards answered as he holstered his firearm. "Who would have thought that he would turn on us like that. It doesn't make any sense."

The Israeli President clenched Derek's body to his, moaning. "Why? Why does it have to be like this? Derek was my best friend!"

Lucy watched silently, feeling both a small sense of justice at the death of the Israeli Prime Minister and sympathy for the Israeli President's loss. A tear welled up in her eye and for the first time, Lucy used her power remotely to help a human she didn't know or care about. She closed her eyes and concentrated while Kohta did the same, amplifying her power over the distance.

Derek's lifeless body suddenly jerked and began to breathe again as the blood flow ebbed. He coughed out blood as his pulse rose. Life returned to his eyes as he looked up into Rendor's eyes. "Sir…what happened?" he whispered.

President Rendor's eyes grew wide in complete astonishment. One of the guards rushed for the medics as the President hugged his friend. "Oh my god…I thought I'd lost you, Derek."

"You did there for a moment, sir," Derek whispered.

President Rendor abruptly looked up at the screen, seeing Lucy's sober face. "Did you…?"

Lucy nodded solemnly. "Yes, Mr. President…we saved him the same way we dealt with the Prime Minister. I saw how he sacrificed himself for you and how much you loved him as your friend. I know what it's like to lose close friends, so Kohta and I reached out and resuscitated him, stabilizing him enough for you to get him to a hospital. So you see, Mr. President…we diclonius are not the monsters your Prime Minister said we are."

The medics returned and took Derek from President Rendor, carrying him to the hospital. The Israeli President stood and straightened his bloody suit, looking at Lucy with great gratitude. "Thank you, your majesty," he said sincerely. "You have proven yourself to me to be a kind and gentle person with great power that I cannot understand. But that power saved my friend and me. Thank you. I promise you with all my heart that I will find these traitors who are working with the Prime Minister and bring them to justice. I only hope that his execution here satisfies your sense of justice, at least in some small part. Is that sufficient for us to make peace with you for now?"

"It's a good start," Lucy stated. "You've shown strength of character that I did not see in your traitorous Prime Minister; a strength that I admire and respect. Do not disappoint me. We want no more bloodshed of either my people or yours. Only those who are responsible for our current situation need to be punished. Furthermore, you have two days to release my people from your Institutes. If it isn't done by then, I will do it myself and order my brothers and sisters to destroy it and anyone who gets in their way."

"It'll be done right away, your majesty," President Rendor declared. "I'll see to it myself. And thank you for showing that there are traitors in our midst. I would admonish all my fellow leaders who have witnessed this event to take careful stock of your people for there may be traitors in your very midst as well who wish to undermine and destroy the peace Queen Lucy wants with us."

The Egyptian President spoke up after having witnessed the attempted coup on his screen. "We have no love for Israel, but after seeing this, Egypt will take measures to stop these infidels within our borders. If they can do this within Israel's inner circle, then they may try it here. We will hunt down these vermin and exterminate them before they wreck our world further. Queen Lucy…peace you have with the Egyptian people. The hatred we just witnessed from the Israeli Prime Minister must be neutralized for all our sakes. It could destroy us all."

"Good," Lucy replied. "You understand the danger posed by these fucks. A handful of shit-asses are wrecking everything for everyone because they want to control me, my people, along with everyone else. It's time for them to be dealt with. We are not going to be controlled, nor are we going silently into oblivion. The diclonius are here to stay."

"Strong words, Queen Lucy," the Iranian President stated. "And I'm sure you have the power to back up those words if what we witnessed with the Israeli Prime Minister and President is any gauge of your power."

"Don't trifle with me," Lucy warned. "I'm not going to tolerate it, especially after what just happened. I'm not just some bitch you can order around. Nor are you going to hide from me your black operation diclonius research. The Israelis have a research facility near the Sinai with eighty of my people held prisoner. I also know that your government has fifty of my people locked in a secret bunker in the mountains outside Tehran, doing the same things to them that Kakuzawa did to me. So you have a choice to make, Mr. President…release them now, destroy your data and facility, or I shall do it for you. And if I have to do it, you will not like it because I will instruct my brothers and sisters to tear that place apart and anyone who tries to stop them, just like I told President Rendor. Do I make myself clear?"

"You wouldn't dare," the Iranian President balked.

"Try me," Lucy hissed icily. "I killed the Israeli Prime Minister and brought him back just to prove a point. You really think I care what you think, you boorish pig? These are my brothers and sisters you're using for guinea pigs, goddamn it. Maybe I should tell them to do to your people what they were doing to my brothers and sisters…hmmm?"

The Iranian President's face flushed with anger. "You dare to dictate terms to the Iranian people?"

"No," Lucy returned evenly. "I do not dictate terms to the Iranian people, just like I don't tell what the Israeli people to do or think. I dictate terms to you and your sorry-ass blood-soaked government. The Iranian people are innocent of the blood of my people, so they have nothing to fear from me or my people. But you and your bloody regime do have to worry and have much to answer for. I can reach out and end your miserable existence as easily as I did for the Israeli Prime Minister. However, I don't want to. I'm weary of the blood and war brought on by people like you. Please, just do what I say. Free my brothers and sisters and let us leave in peace. We know where we're not wanted. If you don't, I shall tell the Iranian people directly what you've done to my people and to them with your fucking repressive regime. I won't have to do a thing. They'll overthrow you themselves and cut you into tiny pieces."

"Do that and you'll never find your people," the Iranian President replied viciously. "We will consider it an act of war."

Lucy's countenance darkened dramatically. "You think that is an act of war, huh? Well what do you call unethical experimentation and vivisections of living diclonius subjects in your labs? What do you call shooting artillery at my people to see how much they can block with their vectors? How do you explain the grinding up of our dead so can feed them to the living you have locked away? Call us monsters will you? It's you and those like you who are the real monsters and you are the ones who declared war on us first. I'll not stand by idly while you torture and kill my brothers and sisters any longer. But I know my words mean nothing to you in your hatred, so I have dropped into the minds of every one of your people what you've done to my people. They will be soon coming for you, Mr. President. Your corrupt genocidal reign is at an end." Lucy closed her eyes and concentrated again, with Kohta backing her up, adding his power to hers. When she opened her eyes, they flamed with fury. "I just wrecked the controls of your diclonius research facility and have ordered my people to destroy it and anyone who mistreated them, or try to stop them in that place. When they finish destroying the lab, they'll become vengeful ghosts who flit around your country searching out those who are responsible for their imprisonment, bringing them to justice. You had your chance to make peace with me, but you refused. Now see what it's like to be at war with not just my people, but your own. I can feel the anger of the human population rising at what Kohta and I just showed them. Good-bye, Mr. President. Ron…cut him off."

"Yes, milady," Ron stated, killing the feed to the Iranian President.

The US President asked, "Was that truly necessary, your majesty?"

"I'm afraid it was," Lucy returned coldly. "He had no intention of releasing my brothers and sisters so I had to force the issue. And I'll do the same to anyone who doesn't release my people from their captivity. I trust that the diclonius you have in your facilities will be released at once?"

"If the facility is under my control, yes," the US President replied. "You already know that. Besides, it's pointless to resist you on this since you're capable of freeing them yourself. I'd much rather do it and not be hunted as a traitor to humanity."

Lucy smiled slightly. "I like the way you think, Mr. President. It shows that you're someone I can deal with."

"Comrade Lucy…how did you know the Iranians still had your people captive?" the Russian President asked politely.

"As Lucy stated before many times," Kohta said, "she and I are connected to every living diclonius on the planet because of the diclonius hive mind. Our minds are hooked together, so she and I know where every diclonius on the planet is at all times, regardless of whether they are walking the street, hiding in a building, or confined in a cell. We know exactly what is happening to each one."

"That must be a tremendous burden," the Swiss Prime Minister stated. "…to be able to feel exactly where every one of your people is and to know what they are experiencing. It's mind-boggling for someone like me to even consider it, though it is obviously the reality you live with."

"It is a heavy burden," Lucy answered softly. "And it's even heavier when I feel one of my brothers or sisters being tormented or killed. But we help each other to carry this burden."

"So, how many of you truly want peace and are willing to do what it takes to insure that peace?" Kohta asked. Everyone still on the view screens called out in affirmative, especially the Israeli President. Even Norway and Sweden, who had remained silent observers of the entire conference call, stepped up and made peace with Lucy and Kohta. "Good," Kohta stated after seeing that sixteen nations made official peace with Lucy and the diclonius. "Spread the word to those countries who didn't participate in this meeting about making peace with us. We don't want war, but will defend ourselves with lethal force if necessary. Just leave us in peace. That's all we really want."

"The word will be spread throughout the world," the US President declared. "Your people will have the peace you want and those responsible for bringing about this calamity will be brought to justice. You have my word as the President of the United States of America." The other world leaders agreed, making the same pledge.

Lucy stood, looking over those on the screens. "I thank you for your peace gestures…all of you. It shows me once again that not all humans are evil. But do not disappoint me," she said. "I will be always watching to see if you make good on your pledges. Trust is something that is earned with me and as of now, your job is to earn my trust by keeping your word. Keep your word and we will prosper together. Break it and you will feel the same sting as the Iranian President. Though I hope it doesn't come to that."

"We honor you and accept your challenge, Miss Lucy," the Chinese Prime Minister replied. "You shall not regret our alliance." Everyone else parroted the Chinese assurance.

"Good," Lucy stated evenly. Speaking to the Israeli President, she said, "President Rendor, I sincerely hope your friend survives his wounds. I can see he is a very close friend to you."

"Thank you, your majesty," President Rendor replied. "I appreciate it. I shall let you know his prognosis as soon as I find out."

"I'd like that," Lucy stated. "We'll be in touch. Goodbye." She pointed to Ron, who cut the video feeds. When the screens went blank, Lucy slumped in the chair with a deep sigh. "God I hate dealing with those idiots. They're all politicians and just can't be trusted."

"Unfortunately, we must deal with them," Fargo murmured. "But I must congratulate you on how you and Master Kohta handled yourselves. Did you really tell every human in Iran what they did to our people?"

Lucy grinned wryly. "Of course not," she crowed. "But they don't know that."

"Who did you tell?" Guildo asked.

"I managed to touch those who were in a position to make a difference," Lucy stated, "…such as their religious leaders, along with a number of the common people who have some telepathic potential. But what I said about the facility is true. Kohta and I wrecked their security programs and we told our brothers and sisters there to demolish the place and kill anyone who tries to stop them with lethal force. When they escape the Iranian Institute, they'll vanish and hunt down those responsible for the diclonius program in Iran."

"Will they kill them?" Myra asked.

"If they resist, yes," Lucy stated grimly. "These fucks are going to be brought to justice one way or another. Those that don't resist or turn against these shits will be spared the death penalty, but will still have to answer for what they did."

"They deserve what they get for the shit they caused," Elle chimed. "I only hope they can be neutralized before they can do any more damage."

"That is what we hope, too," Kohta stated. "But we have no delusions about their stepping up to answer for their crimes. Lucy and I fully expect these rascals to continue to spread their poisonous hate and genocide until they are eradicated."

"Do you think the countries who wanted peace with you will actually follow through on their promises?" Phillip asked, breaking his silence for the first time since the beginning of the meeting. "They are politicians and very adept at deception."

"Not a chance," Kohta declared. "We know that the potential exists for them to not follow through on their deal with us. But Lucy and I may have put enough fear into them with what we did to the Israeli Prime Minister and to the Iranian President that they may keep the deal out of self-preservation. They know now that we can touch them anywhere on this planet. There's no place they can hide from us."

"That's true," Lucy agreed. "The leaders our operatives saved will be the most apt to keep the peace with us since they've seen first-hand what we're capable of. But the others will have to be watched closely. I don't trust any of them any farther than I can spit. Still, if Kohta taught me anything, it's that everyone deserves a second chance. This is their chance. They cross us this time and their ass is grass and we're the lawnmowers." A strained laugh bubbled out of Lucy as she recalled Yuka's warning. "Looks like Yuka was right after all about these bastards. I'll have to tell her about it later. She may find it funny."

"Yeah, she really hit it on the head," Kohta said. "It's kind of shocking that she turned out to know the world better than we did."

"True," Elle commented. "But you must remember, neither of you were exposed to Calidor the way she was. Yuka figured this out by being in the center of this disaster. I find it a miracle that she survived it."

"So what should we do about it?" Ravenclaw asked. "What will you do about it, Master Kohta?"

Kohta sighed deeply, looking at his bandaged arm. "I will never take what she says for granted. That's for sure. Furthermore, I feel it's very important that we try to find someplace out of sight where we can live in peace and not be bothered by them and their corrupt society. I just want to get back to a normal life where no one is trying to kill us. If anyone needs this, it is Yuka. She must have a stable, peaceful environment where she can recover from her ordeal."

"A truly noble goal," Fargo declared. "And we will help you, Lucy, and your family to find this Shangri-La you seek, no matter how long it takes. But until you find what you seek, you're more than welcome to stay on the Chimera. You have a family with us and we'll gladly share our space and lives with you if you'll have us."

"Thank you, Captain," Lucy replied softly. "Kohta and I appreciate the offer. Now if you will excuse us, we'd like to go to our quarters for some well-deserved rest."

Fargo bowed to Lucy and Kohta. "By all means, Lucy…I'll make sure you're not disturbed."

"Thanks," Lucy replied, heaving herself to her feet. She reached out with two vectors and picked up Kohta since he still couldn't walk because of the unset cybernetic prosthesis. "Come on, Kohta. Let's go. Dr. Ravenclaw, when do you need to see Kohta again?"

"Not right away," Ravenclaw replied. "I had intended to let him get some rest before finalizing the settings on the cybernetics. I'll come by in a few hours to check on him."

"That'll do," Kohta replied. "Come on, Lucy…let's get out of here."

As Lucy started to carry him out, Tao called out, "Lucy, Master Kohta, Li Mei and I know of a place that may be what you're looking for. Can we come by later and talk to you about it?"

"Sure," Lucy stated. "But give us a few hours, okay? We're both dead tired and need some sleep."

"Of course," Tao said. "We'll wait for you to call us, okay?"

Lucy nodded. "That'll be fine." With that, she carried Kohta back to their quarters. Silence reigned for a few moments after she and Kohta left.

"Is she everything you anticipated, Captain Fargo?" Myra asked, breaking the silence.

"You mean Lucy?" Fargo replied. Myra nodded and Fargo smiled warmly. "No, Myra…Lucy is not what I truly expected. She's exceeded my wildest imaginations. When I first met Lucy, she was so insecure and unsure of who or what she was. But with Kohta's help, she has found herself and her place, accepting it. However, she would rather not have all that responsibility. Lucy never truly wanted to be Queen, but events conspired to make her who she is. I know the only thing she truly wants is to live with Kohta and not be bothered by anyone. Yet she knows at this point that she has a responsibility that she won't shirk since she's discovered the true extent of her power. I dare to say at this point, Lucy is as close to a goddess as we or anyone else will ever see."

"That is so true," Charlene called out. "I sensed it when she reached out and dealt with the Israeli Prime Minister. She didn't do it out of malice either, but to make a point to everyone. By doing that, Lucy proved that she has unlimited range and power with her vectors. She literally can touch anyone she chooses no matter where they are. Distance has no meaning for her anymore. No one can hide from her justice. But as you said, she takes this role begrudgingly and would rather just be left alone with Kohta and his family."

"Have you noticed that each time she fights and wins, her power grows exponentially?" Tao asked. "Even if she is seriously injured, she rises above it and gains that much more strength and stamina."

"I did," Guildo replied. "That's the marvel of Lucy as Queen. Only with her possessing the Queen's piece of the Collective would such a thing have ever been able to happen."

"Still, I think you're forgetting the most important thing about Lucy," Li Mei called out.

"What's that?" Dr. Quang asked.

"Kohta," Li Mei stated. "Without Kohta, she would have never had the will to fight on or to even live. He is truly her lifeline and salvation. Without him, we'd all be dead."

"That is so true," Fargo agreed. "I think what we need to do now is to help her and Kohta bear this burden as Queen and King by making their lives as peaceful and easy as possible. They need to be able to just live as regular people and I'm all for giving them that chance."

"I totally agree," Myra stated. "They've been in constant conflict all their lives. Now they should be allowed to live the life they would have lived had God not made them who they are. Let's face it, what they've endured is beyond anything we can imagine. The horrors and evil they've seen and dealt with defies description or comprehension. I say let's not bother them too much so they can deal with the trauma of what happened. They just need time to heal and they can't do it if they're constantly fighting with the assholes that started this shit to begin with."

"What a keen and insightful observation," Ravenclaw declared. "Myra has hit the nail right on the head. Lucy and Kohta need time to heal and rebuild their lives, and I'm all for letting them do it. What we need to do is deal with the dumbasses that want to fuck up their peace. Does everyone agree with this conclusion?" Everyone at the table agreed with Ravenclaw's statement. "Then it's settled," Ravenclaw stated. "We will keep the world at bay so they can rebuild their lives, starting now. Only when something of grave importance comes up will we ask for her help."

"That if she doesn't already know about it," Li Mei commented. "She will know what we're doing."

"That she will," Fargo agreed. "If she doesn't like what we're doing, I'm sure we'll hear about it from her or Kohta. Tao, Li Mei…I'd like to hear about this place you mentioned to Lucy a little later."

"Absolutely," Li Mei stated. "We'd be delighted to tell you about our little Shangri-La."

"Good," Fargo answered. "I look forward to it. If that's all we need to talk about, then I suggest we adjourn this meeting and get something to eat. I'm starved. We'll work out the particulars of our plan to help Lucy and Kohta later." Everyone nodded and rose, leaving the conference room except for Saito and Emperor Watanabe.

The Emperor sighed deeply. "Our world has changed so drastically in such a short period of time," he murmured. "Japan no longer exists. I am an Emperor without a people or country."

Saito patted the Emperor on the shoulder. "Yes, Japan no longer exists as a country," Saito replied. "But not all of your people perished in this cataclysm. They are scattered around the world. We will find them eventually and you will once again have a people of whom you can be proud. I'm sure that those who did survive did so with honor and dignity, making sure to keep the Japanese spirit alive wherever they went."

The Emperor looked up at Saito from his position in the chair and smiled. "I hope so. It would be a tragedy if our culture and history perished because of this." He shook his head sadly. "All this death, destruction, and heartache unleashed on an unsuspecting world because we could not control our baser instincts. Greed and hate has destroyed Japan and nearly destroyed the earth itself. Had we just embraced the diclonius as brothers and sisters rather than as dangerous inhuman beasts to be destroyed, the world would not have suffered in this manner. Merciful gods…I've lived too long to have witnessed such evil."

"Don't talk like that, your highness," Saito replied. "We need you. Your people need more than ever now. Maybe this time we can get it right."

"Always the optimist, aren't you, Saito," the Emperor murmured.

"I have to after everything I've seen, your majesty," Saito stated. "Yes, the world has undergone a paroxysm with this. But I don't see this as an end, but a beginning. What we've witnessed is the birth of a new species of humanity. And as you well know, births are always bloody and painful, but the joy of seeing the living child afterwards overshadows everything else. We must be patient. Things will get better. You'll see."

The Emperor smiled at Saito. "Thank you for the encouragement, my friend. It helps."

"My pleasure, your majesty," Saito stated, "Come on…let's get something to eat." The Emperor nodded and Saito wheeled the Emperor out of the conference room, heading to the galley.

A/N: The world is not what it was, nor is Lucy or Kohta. Some of the countries of the world want peace with Lucy and her people while others continue in their old ways of experimentation and extermination of the diclonius. Regardless, Lucy and Kohta find themselves now in a position of strength where they can dictate to the world what they want for themselves and their diclonius kin. The beauty in Lucy's ultimatum is in its simplicity: stop the experimentation and extermination of the diclonius or she will stop it for them and just leave them alone in peace. But Yuka's warning echoes in Lucy's ears and she and Kohta know that the peace they want will be an elusive thing to capture. Will they find their Shangri-La where they can live in peace, or will the war waged against the diclonius by the people responsible for the calamity continue to wreck Kohta and Lucy's dream of a peaceful life. Read on to find out how it all ends.

As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	41. Chapter 41 From Beyond

Chapter 41

From Beyond

Three days after the conference with the world leaders, Lucy and Kohta sat on the observation deck of the Chimera with Mayu, Nana, Yuka, and Myra getting some fresh air while the giant submarine cruised on the surface at fifteen knots. Puffy white cumulus clouds hung in the sky, casting the occasional shadow on Lucy and her family as they enjoyed the sunshine and clean air. Yet off to their east lay an ominous cloudbank that shimmered in the warm ocean air. Mayu, Nana, and Myra chatted amiably while Yuka lay asleep on her long deck chair. Kohta also lay stretched out on a long deck chair, snoring softly…the warmth of the sun and the gurgling of the water as it moved past the Chimera having lulled him to sleep.

Lucy, on the other hand, sat on her camping chair with her feet propped up on a deck rail. She looked sullenly out at the endless ocean around her, feeling isolated and a bit depressed. She and Kohta had won the battle against Calidor and saved the planet from extinction, but not everyone proved willing to let her, Kohta, and her people live in peace. A number of nations still blamed her for the cataclysm that shook the world to its foundations. Furthermore, preliminary casualty counts came in for the calamity: almost one billion people dead between the diclonius attacks, the mass insanity released by Calidor into the human populations, and the governments of the world resorting to nuclear and chemical weapons to destroy the marauding diclonius and the humans who fell to Calidor's poisonous insanity. Whole cities and regions became dead zones…uninhabitable for the next ten thousand years from nuclear and chemical contamination. The islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and the western portions of Kyushu, comprising the majority of the Japanese mainland were radioactive dead zones, burned to ashes and incapable of supporting life because of the lethal levels of radiation. Only Hokkaido and the outer islands, including Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands remained relatively unscathed. Then to add insult to injury, Lucy found out that the mega-tsunami that nearly sank the Chimera when the Island of the Collective phased into another dimension killed twenty million people alone when it hit the populated areas around the Pacific rim. The disaster reports from around the world coupled with the news that close to a third of the world still hated Lucy and her kind because of what happened soured her mood greatly. It drove her out onto the observation deck in hopes to forget about the third of the world still hating her because of Calidor's actions.

The cloudbank to the east drew Lucy's attention and she watched it closely. A sour place formed in the pit of her stomach. Mayu noticed Lucy's sullen demeanor and attention on the cloudbank. "What's wrong, Lucy?" Mayu asked innocently. "I can see something is bothering you."

Lucy shook her head soberly. "I don't know, Mayu. Something doesn't feel right."

"Care to elaborate?" Myra asked, jumping into the conversation. "Maybe talking about it will help."

"I don't think it will," Lucy replied. "Whatever it is, there's nothing I can do about it; that much I can tell you."

"Does it have anything to do with that cloud out there?" Mayu asked.

Lucy nodded. "That cloud doesn't look right. It reminds me of the Fury cloud we saw right after the Institute blew. But I don't think it is the Fury. It can't be. Kohta and I destroyed it by killing Calidor."

Nana looked out at the cloud hanging low on the horizon. "It's not moving like the other clouds," she commented. A sharp chill raced down her spine. "Ohhh…something bad is going on there. I can feel it. We're not going there, are we?"

"No," Lucy stated. "The ship is moving north and that cloud is staying to the east of us. But it's strange that it's not moving or behaving like the other clouds."

"What's not acting like the other clouds?" Kohta asked, having just awakened.

"That cloud there," Mayu answered, pointing to the east. "That cloud is acting very strangely."

Kohta looked closely at it and his face fell. "What is that?" he asked. "It doesn't look like any cloud I've ever seen before." The Chimera suddenly shifted course, heading toward the cloud. "What the hell?" Kohta cursed.

"Lucy, Kohta," Fargo called out as he stepped on the observation deck. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but we have received a distress call from a ship two hundred and fifty kilometers to the east of us and we're going to investigate. You should come inside because the beacon came from inside that storm."

"Is that really a storm?" Lucy asked.

"What do you mean?" Fargo asked.

"Just look and you'll see what I mean," Lucy ordered, stabbing her finger at the eerie cloudbank. It shimmered violently, boiling and churning yet it did not move in relation to the other clouds. Occasional lightning lit up its structure, making it look like a nebula in space.

"Oh my word," Fargo breathed. "That is truly bizarre. But our instruments show a borderline category five typhoon there. We'll approach with caution and underwater just to be safe. Now if you will care to wake Miss Yuka, we should all go below."

"Okay, Captain," Lucy said softly. "But be very careful. Something is not right with that storm. I can feel it and so can Kohta and Nana."

"I know better than to not pay attention to your feelings, Lucy," Fargo declared. "We'll take all precautions. But if there's a ship in trouble in there, we have an obligation under maritime law to answer the distress call and help if we can."

"That'll be fine," Lucy said as Kohta roused Yuka from her slumber.

"What'd you wake me up for, Kohta?" Yuka growled. "For once in a long time, I was having the most pleasant dream."

"We have to go inside, Yuka," Kohta said as he helped her up. "There's a ship in trouble in that storm there and we need to go help."

"Oh," Yuka replied softly. "Then let's get inside then and go help them." Moments later, everyone vacated the observation deck and the Chimera sank into the Pacific.

Two hundred and fifty kilometers away near the center of the typhoon, a tanker named the Hildebrandt carrying 200,000 gallons of crude floundered in 25-meter swells driven by 235 km/h winds. The distress beacon continued to call out for help as captain and two other men desperately worked to keep the ship from going down in the monstrous storm. They braved the lashing wind and water on the bridge despite every window being blown out. The captain wiped his goggles with his left hand as he stood with his right hand lashed to the wheel. A rope wrapped his waist and tied on to the bulkhead in two different locations opposite of each other to keep him stable in the hellish wind. The other two men likewise were tied down to their stations: one at the sonar/radar station and the other at the engineer's station. The wind howled so loud they couldn't speak to one another, only communicate through gestures.

Suddenly, a thirty-meter swell loomed in front of the ship. The captain's face went ashen and stony. He pointed to the engineer and waved his hand in a circle…the signal for full throttle. The engineer pushed the engines to full power as the captain turned the ship into the monster wave. Half way up the wave, a brilliant light flashed over the entire ship as a ball of blue flame appeared on the main deck in front of the bridge roughly half way to the bow of the ship. Lightning crackled from the ball of light, striking the structure of the ship in numerous places. "What the hell?" the captain mouthed silently in the deafening storm as the ball of blue fire expanded to ten meters in diameter. The feeling of falling into a hole filled the captain's senses as the ship began to list on the wave, sliding back down the front of it as it broke on the ship. Before the captain or his bridge crew could blink, the wave slammed down on the deck of the ship, drowning the ball of blue fire. The moment the seawater hit the blazing phenomenon, a bone-rattling explosion ensued that blew a hole in the wave as it vaporized the water out thirty meters from the ship in all directions along with the front third of the ship. The explosion itself sent out a shockwave that blew the waves away from the ship as a massive fireball rose into the stormy skies. Fire blazed out of control as burning crude spilled into the sea from two ruptured containment tanks on the front of the ship. The third tank near the ship's superstructure and bridge on the stern buckled, but didn't breech. The heat flash from the blast charred half of the captain's face and body as he turned away from the explosion, dodging the debris by shielding himself with the wheel and console in front of him. Miraculously, he survived the explosion; however, his first mate at the radar control wasn't as lucky. A flying piece of debris, a six-foot long piece of rebar two inches in diameter from the tank's supports impaled the first mate through the chest, killing him instantly. The engineer ducked behind the control panel, dodging the worst of the fire and debris, though he received substantial burns from the explosion. He looked up at the captain, seeing the captain's goggles melted onto half of his face as he clawed his way to his feet.

Without warning, the winds subsided and the sky cleared as the crippled tanker drifted into the eye of the storm. The engineer quickly untied himself and went to the captain, who slumped over the wheel. "Captain, are you okay?" he asked. The engineer grimaced when he saw the terrible burns on the captain's right side.

"It doesn't matter now, Jared," the captain moaned, spitting out blood. "That explosion did us in. The ship's going down now. There's nothing to stop it now."

"What was that?" Jared asked.

"I have no idea," the captain answered as Jared slowly pulled the goggles off his face. "In all my years at sea, I've never seen such a storm come up without warning, nor have I ever seen the likes of the electromagnetic phenomena we just seen. It's like the planet just decided to burn us out of spite."

Jared glanced out over the burning deck of the ship as it slowly sank into the oily, flaming sea. A motionless form lay on the nearest tank hatch, seemingly unaffected by the blast. "What on earth is that?" he asked, dumbfounded that he saw a body out on the deck after the blast and fire that still raged on the front half of the ship. "How can there be anyone out there after that? There wasn't supposed to be anyone on deck anyway because of the storm."

The captain turned his good eye to the deck, seeing the motionless form there. "Jared, go see who that was. I know every person on this ship and that doesn't look like one of us."

"Will you be okay, captain?" Jared asked.

"I'll be okay long enough for you to go see who that was," the captain answered with wheeze of pain. "Also, check on the crew below and tell them to abandon ship right now."

"Aye captain," Jared stated with a snap salute. "I'll be right back."

The captain waved Jared away and slumped on the wheel, looking out at the deck where the mysterious intruder lay. He also looked at the black clouds swirling around the eyewall of the typhoon with grim resolution. "At this point, even if someone heard our distress call, it would be impossible for them to reach us. But I can't let my crew give up hope. As long as they abandon ship, there's still a slim chance they'll survive. Otherwise, they don't have a chance." He groaned as his pain mounted and his strength fled. "Oh God…please don't let my crew die…not like this," he wheezed as his knees buckled. "Not like this…" His last breath hissed through his burned lips as he dangled from the wheel of his ship. His last sight was Jared reaching the mysterious figure on the tank hatch.

Jared cautiously approached the figure, immediately noticing it was a naked man approximately 25 years old with long maroon hair that reached to his waist. "What the fuck?" Jared cursed upon seeing that the nude man wasn't dead, but unconscious. Moreover, the man didn't seemed to burned by the fires at all. Deeming it safe to approach the stranger, Jared moved in for a closer look. Kneeling down and rolling the man over, Jared gasped in astonishment. The man had two cat-ear horns sticking out of his skull and a great number of scars. "Oh my god…it's, it's one of those diclonius fellows. But how did he get here?" The smoke and heat from the oil fires snapped Jared out of his shock. Taking pity on the young diclonius, Jared scooped him up and headed toward the bridge of the ship as the bow sank below the water. "I don't know who you are, but I can't just leave you here to die." Five minutes later, he reached the bridge and found the captain dead at the wheel. "God damn it!" he cursed. Sitting the diclonius man down on the floor, Jared went to the captain and took his dog tags. "You loved the sea, my friend. May she take you to her bosom and give you peace. Farewell." Jared picked up the unconscious diclonius and headed toward the lifeboats on the stern of the ship.

After preparing the lifeboat and putting the mysterious diclonius on board, he rushed into the bowels of the ship searching for his crewmates. Two minutes later, he returned alone with grim resolve and launched the lifeboat, moving it away from the sinking tanker and the fire. Once three hundred meters away, he stopped the boat and watched with pain-stricken grief as the tanker exploded again before slipping into the deep. A huge column of smoke rose in the eye of the typhoon as bubbles of seawater boiled, reaching up to claim the doomed ship. Jared looked at the diclonius man and grabbed a blanket from the supplies, putting it around him. A pessimistic sigh escaped his lips as he looked at the eyewall of the typhoon slowly approaching his position. "Well my friend," he muttered. "Looks like I saved you from the ship only for you to die in the storm with me. Isn't that some fucking dumb luck or what? Well at least I won't die alone."

The diclonius man suddenly moaned and stirred, getting Jared's attention. His eyes flickered and slowly opened. "No need to worry," the diclonius man whispered. "You aren't dead yet. Help is at hand."

"Who are you?" Jared asked. "And how did you get on the Hildebrandt?"

"I'm not sure," the diclonius replied softly.

"You don't know who you are?" Jared asked.

"Not really," the diclonius replied. "Everything is in a fog right now. The last thing I remember is seeing a dragon followed by a bright light."

"A dragon?" Jared replied incredulously. "Man, you really are messed up. But who am I to condemn. We're literally in the same boat now. When that eyewall reached us, the typhoon will tear this boat and us to bits."

A knowing smile crossed the diclonius' face. "You should not be so pessimistic, my friend. Fate has not cast us away just yet."

"That's easy for you to say," Jared retorted. "You haven't seen a category-four typhoon arise in a matter of hours out of nowhere and destroy your ship and friends as I have."

The diclonius looked deep into Jared's eyes, making him uncomfortable. "You really cared for your friends, didn't you?"

"Of course I did," Jared snapped. "They were my family. Don't you have friends you care about?"

"I did, long ago," the diclonius stated. "Moreover, there was this one special girl that I would do anything for, but it was not to be."

In the calm of the eye, a low-pitched rumble echoed over the sea, making Jared jumpy. "What's on earth is that noise?" Jared asked.

The diclonius listened for a few moments. Then his eyes grew wide and a smile crept across his face. "That's the sound of our salvation. Watch closely. Our saviors approach."

The sea around the lifeboat began churning as if something were rising beneath it. Jared was about to go crazy with fear when the conning tower of the Chimera breeched the surface just twenty meters away. "Oh my god," Jared breathed as he watched the Chimera's conning tower soar into the sky. Then the lifeboat jerked and lifted out of the water as the aircraft carrier size of the Chimera became evident to Jared. He looked at the diclonius and asked, "How did you know?"

"Our answer approaches," the diclonius murmured, noticing a hatch at the base of the conning tower opening. Seconds later, four figures appeared in the opening. "Ahoy in the lifeboat," the leader called out. "Are you all that's left of the Hildebrandt?"

Jared looked toward the group as they came to him. His eyes bugged out as he saw two diclonius: a man and a woman, and two human men with them. "Who are you?" Jared asked, feeling like he'd fallen into a nightmare.

"Please do not be frightened, son," the leader stated calmly. "My name is Fargo and this is my ship, the Chimera. As you no doubt notice, I am a diclonius, like the fellow there with you in your boat. Here next to me is our Queen, Lucy, and her husband Kohta. And standing next to Kohta is Dr. Quang Li, one of our ship's finest doctors. We picked up your ship's distress call and came as quickly as we could. What happened to your ship, son?"

"Don't call him son," Lucy corrected. "He doesn't like that."

"My apologies," Fargo replied. "What is your name, sailor?"

"Jared," Jared answered numbly. "I am/was the chief engineer on the Hildebrandt before the storm sank her. The burning oil over there is testament to her grave and the grave of some of my closest friends. I and this strange fellow here are all that's left."

"You're injured," Dr. Quang observed with some concern. "Please, come with us so we may treat your burns before they become infected."

Kohta looked around at the storm as the typhoon's eyewall loomed around them, closing in. "Captain, we need to get these guys on board now before this storm tries to take a chunk out of us too. This is no ordinary storm."

"I agree," Fargo stated. Offering his hand to Jared, he said, "Jared, please come with us before this storm decides to finish you and your friend off. You are welcome onboard the Chimera, as is your friend."

Jared, seeing no other option, took Fargo's hand. "Thank you," he said as Fargo helped him out of the lifeboat. "But what about him; I don't know who he is and neither does he. He appeared on the deck of the ship just after the explosion that crippled us."

Fargo raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? In that case, he is welcome on my ship too. I'll not leave any soul to die in this storm if I can help it. Kohta, help the young man."

"Aye Captain," Kohta replied, sprinting over to the young diclonius still sitting in the bow of the lifeboat. He and the young man locked eyes for a moment and something stirred in both of them.

"I know you," the young diclonius stated. "Somehow, I know you."

"So do I," Kohta admitted. "It's strange. I've seen you somewhere before but I can't put my finger on where." He held out his hand to the strange diclonius, asking, "Do you trust me to help you?"

"Yes," the diclonius replied slowly, noticing Lucy watching him with the intensity of a predator. "I do. I don't want to die."

"Then come with me," Kohta declared, "Take my hand and I will help you."

The strange diclonius took Kohta's hand. Kohta gasped in astonishment as a flood of impossible visions filled his mind…blurry images that seemed to swirl and melt together until one image solidified…that of Rayden. Kohta groaned, pushing past the visions. He pulled the diclonius man up, picking him up with two vectors.

Lucy immediately noticed Kohta's reaction and called out, "What's wrong, Kohta? Something has you rattled."

"I'm okay," Kohta growled. "Let's just get these guys inside before this storm returns. We can sort this out in the Chimera."

"That's a good idea," Fargo stated. "This calm is rapidly coming to an end. We need to get underwater before the winds pick up again." With that, everyone went inside and Fargo sealed the door. Minutes later after the Chimera submerged, the eyewall of the typhoon passed their position, and the storm erased all evidence of the Hildebrandt's existence.

Once the Chimera was underway, moving at a depth of 150 meters, Fargo went to the infirmary to get some answers about the doomed tanker. When he arrived, Kohta and Lucy were watching Dr. Ravenclaw treat the strange diclonius as Dr. Quang treated Jared. As Quang soothed Jared's burns with ointments and a good dose of morphine, Jared looked at the diclonius around him in a stupor. "You guys really aren't that bad, are you?" Jared asked. "I mean, you don't really go around just killing people because they're human, do you?"

"Not anymore," Lucy stated coolly. "Our kind used to act like that, but we've fixed that problem just recently."

"You're their leader?" Jared asked Lucy.

"I guess you could say that," Lucy stated. "I am their Queen and they do what I say."

"Did you tell them to stop killing people like me?" Jared asked stupidly as Quang bandaged his burns.

"Yes," Lucy stated. "But not everyone likes that decision. I decided that we will live in peace with those who want to live in peace with us, but we're not going to take any shit anymore from anyone."

Jared nodded, feeling oddly secure in Lucy's presence. "I can understand that," he stated. "That's one of the reasons I became a sailor, so I could get away from those shits who just don't care who they hurt. On the open sea, the crew of the Hildebrandt was my family and I trusted them with my life. We had to do that in order to survive. On the open sea, we had no ties to anyone and could live in peace."

"I hear you, brother," Kohta murmured. "That's what Lucy and I want for our people…just to live in peace with everyone."

"Don't you fear us?" Lucy asked.

"Well, yeah," Jared admitted. "But I don't know you well enough to really answer that question. What can you do?"

A wry grin crossed Lucy's lips as she gently picked up Jared with her vectors. His eyes got wide as he felt her vectors contact his skin. They were pleasantly warm, like the arms of a mother. His flesh tingled where she held him. "I don't need to use my hands to pick things up, you included," she declared, holding him two feet off the bed. "I can read your mind, or kill you with a thought. But killing is not something I relish. I've had a belly full of it and just want to be left alone."

"How are you doing this?" Jared breathed in fearful fascination. "How can you make me float like this?"

Lucy gently laid him back on the bed and made her invisible vectors translucent so Jared could see them. A gasp escaped Jared's lips as he saw five translucent arms and hands floating around him, all connected to Lucy. "You see these arms?" she asked. Jared nodded dumbly. "These are my vectors and they can do anything I wish, from picking up stuff to slicing or crushing them into pieces. Watch this." She grabbed an empty steel coffee cup from across the infirmary with her vector, bringing it to her. It floated in front of her and Jared, held in a translucent hand. "Now watch closely," she instructed Jared, who watched like a student waiting for a master's instruction. Lucy closed her vector fist effortlessly, crushing the steel coffee cup into a solid ball one inch across. Jared's mouth wagged open in astonishment as Lucy took the ball in hand from her vectors, after which she made them vanish. Holding the crushed cup up between her thumb and forefinger, she said, "This is nothing. I can demolish anything I want with these vectors, but I can also fix things with these hands of mine. Something I learned just recently is how to use these vectors to heal, rather than kill. Furthermore, these vectors have no range limit. I can literally reach anyone I want on this miserable planet with them, if I want to. Now, do you fear me?"

"Yes," Jared stated. "I fear your power, but I don't fear you. As strange as it sounds, when you had me floating in the air, I could feel you and your energy. I was warm and almost loving in a way. I don't know how to explain it. But from what I felt, I could sense that you didn't want to hurt me. I actually felt safe. You are not an evil person. If you were, you would have let me die in the storm."

"True," Lucy admitted. "But I could be pulling the wool over your eyes just to get you to lower your guard."

Jared shook his head solemnly. "No," he said slowly. "I've always been a very good judge of people and my instincts have, to date, never failed me. But there is one way I can be sure." He held out his hand to her. "Shake my hand, Lucy…Queen of the Diclonius. I can tell through your handshake what kind of person you are."

"Can you?" Lucy asked, intrigued by Jared's boast. "Let's see if you can read me then." She took his hand and shook it firmly, staring him in the eye, not blinking.

Jared stared back fearlessly as he shook Lucy's hand. A wry grin crossed his lips. "You are very distrustful of people, possibly because of past treatment by those close to you. In the past, you have been doubtful and insecure, not sure of your place in this world, but that has changed recently. You're a confident, secure woman now who knows who and what she is and what she needs to do to get what she wants. But you still remain distrustful of people because of what you've endured and will not tolerate any shit from anyone. Did I get it right?"

Lucy let go of his hand and shook her head, chuckling softly. "My word, you really do have a gift, don't you?" she chimed. "It's close enough for now. I can see with that gift how you resorted to a life at sea. You have a way of looking through people's disguises and they don't like that at all."

"No," Jared agreed, "they don't."

"But you're still afraid of me," Lucy noticed.

"Of course I am," Jared replied. "Only a fool or idiot who didn't know you would not be. I see you as I would see a big cat…a tiger or lion maybe: a beautiful creature to be approached cautiously and respected at all time. I don't ever plan on giving you a reason to be hostile towards me."

"Smart man," Lucy crowed. "I like you. You're honest and straight-forward with your talk. I think we can get along, don't you, Kohta?"

"Yep," Kohta agreed. "He's a kind of an outcast like us."

"So he is," Lucy stated. She looked at Jared, seeing the tension in his features despite the morphine. She smiled softly at him. "Relax, Jared…you're among friends here. What you don't know is that there are almost as many humans on this ship as there are diclonius. We've worked together for a long time and have become a family of sorts, like you and your crewmates on the tanker."

When Jared saw the smile, and everyone else smiling, he relaxed some. "This is going to be an adjustment. All we ever heard over our communications is how the diclonius were monsters trying to exterminate the world. I should've known the sons of bitches were lying to us."

"It's okay," Fargo said. "Don't give it a second thought. Now do you have anywhere you want us to let you off? Do you have any family who will be worried about your absence?"

Jared shook his head. "No sir. My wife died about five years ago without warning or reason. One day she took sick and three days later, she was dead. No one in the hospitals knew what it was, or if they did, they weren't telling me. Then to add insult to injury, her parents took her body and didn't allow me to even say goodbye to her. They blamed me for her death."

"That sounds familiar; doesn't it Kohta?" Lucy commented.

"It certainly does, Lucy," Kohta stated. "It wouldn't surprise me if the governments weren't responsible for the illness that kill Jared's wife. Did you have any kids, Jared?"

"No," Jared answered solemnly. "We wanted kids, and tried repeatedly to have a child, but it just didn't happen. In retrospect, I'm relieved that we didn't have children, seeing everything that's happened in the last six months."

"What did you do after your wife died?" Fargo asked, leaning against the counter.

"When I figured out that I wasn't being told the truth about her death," Jared replied, "I signed on as the chief engineer for the Hildebrandt and didn't look back."

"A marvelous, tragic tale," the strange diclonius called out from his bed a few feet away, "…a tale that even now stirs the fog in my brain."

"Don't make fun of his sorrow," Lucy warned sternly. "I'm not going to have it."

"It was not my intention to make fun of his pain," the strange diclonius answered. "It merely reminds me of my own painful past. I just wanted to thank him for sharing."

"How does my pain help you?" Jared asked. "I don't even know what your name is."

"It helps me by shaking lose old memories of past lives long forgotten," the diclonius man replied. "The memories in my head are like bubbles in a cascade. They rise for a few moments and then vanish from my head. It's infuriating. The only thing I can clearly remember is seeing a dragon, and then a bright light." He pointed at Kohta, adding, "Your face keeps appearing and disappearing like a ghost in my mind. The moment I try to latch on to it, it vanishes like smoke in the wind." His face twisted with anger as he slapped his head with his hands. "I can't even remember my own name. How do you think I could forget something like that? Please, can't you help me?"

Kohta looked at the man and then to Lucy, who stared at the diclonius. "Lucy, when I picked him up outside, I was assaulted by a flood of strange, even bizarre images that seemed strangely familiar. It took me so by surprise that for a moment I couldn't move. Then one image seem to solidify in my mind."

"What image was that?" Fargo asked, very attentive to Kohta's words.

"I saw Rayden," Kohta declared. "I don't know how, but I think this man and Rayden are connected somehow."

Lucy rose and deliberately moved to the diclonius' bed. She hovered over him with an intense, almost predatory look on her face. "You are unknown to me," Lucy declared. "But I intend to find out who you are."

The diclonius looked up at her with fear welling up in his soul. "I swear to you, my Queen…I don't know who I am. Please help me find out who I am. Do whatever you must. I can't live with this empty hole in my mind. It's a torment that I can't bear."

"Hold still," Lucy said stonily, grabbing him by the head with her hands unexpectedly and pulling him to within an inch of her face. A flood of vectors swarmed out of Lucy and into the mystery diclonius, searching his mind intensely. He gasped; his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. After a few moments, she called out, "Kohta, come and assist me." Kohta stepped up and grabbed the diclonius's left hand with his right hand while touching the man on the side of the head with his other hand. Then he set his vectors in motion, following Lucy's vectors into the man's mind.

Fargo, Jared, Ravenclaw, Quang, and the nurses watched with baited breath as Lucy and Kohta searched the diclonius' mind with their vectors. After a few moments, Kohta called out, "Fargo, go get Yuka and bring her here right now. She's the key to this."

"Yes, Master Kohta," Fargo answered, leaving on a mission to retrieve Yuka.

"Who are you?" Lucy asked the diclonius. "Where is your identity? Where is your piece?"

"I don't know, milady," the diclonius sobbed, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Keep going. I know something must be there. Please, keep digging."

A few moments later, Kohta asked, "Do you see it, Lucy?"

"I do," she replied. "But we cannot open it. We don't have the key."

"But maybe Yuka does," Kohta stated. "We must let nature take its course here. We've removed most of the obstacles in his mind. But we cannot breech the vault without the key. Let's give him some space to breathe."

"Okay," Lucy replied, pulling her vectors back as Kohta pulled his out of the man. Lucy let go of the diclonius' head and sat next to him, cradling him in her lap. "Are you all right?" she asked the diclonius.

With a glazed look in his eyes, he said, "I think so. Things are starting to take shape now. But I can't put them together yet."

Kohta patted the man on the shoulder. "We're here to help you do that."

"Maybe Miss Yuka can help here," Fargo called out. "Miss Yuka, Lucy and Kohta need you to help them with this man. He doesn't remember who he is and Kohta believes you may be able to jump-start his memory."

Yuka hobbled into the infirmary behind Fargo, leaning heavily on a cane. Suko Arakawa, Aiko, and Myra followed close behind Yuka. Yuka watched the floor as she moved by Fargo, going to the bed where Lucy held the unknown diclonius man.

"Do you know this girl?" Lucy asked the diclonius.

He looked at her with a blank expression at first. Then as Yuka came closer, his eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. "By the hands of Fate, I know this girl. I know her face but I can't remember who she is. Please tell me, who is this precious angel?"

Yuka heard the man's statement and immediately recognized Rayden's voice. She looked up at the young man and gasped. She then shut her eyes and shook her head. "No…No, it can't be him! It can't be! He's been dead 1700 years!"

"Please, my precious angel," the diclonius man pleaded. "You know who I am. Tell me who I am. Save me from this oblivion of nonexistence!"

Kohta walked over to Yuka and put his arm around her. "Yuka, listen to me," he said softly. "Lucy and I have tried to penetrate this man's mind to determine his identity. But it's locked beyond our reach. We do not have the key, but you do. We saw your face clearly in the jumble of his memories. You have the key to free this man. Yuka, I suspect that this is Rayden reborn from the Nexus, but I cannot be 100% sure. You had extensive mental contact with Rayden while in Calidor's castle. You and he had and still have a bond that cannot be broken by hate or even death. Look at him, Yuka and take a chance. This is your chance to have that which you want. Is this Rayden?"

Yuka looked up at the young diclonius and locked eyes with him. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Take me to him," she ordered Kohta. Kohta helped Yuka walk to the young diclonius lying in Lucy's lap. When Yuka stood in front of him, she stared into his eyes and face, looking for something, anything that would make her believe he was Rayden. Fear filled the young diclonius' face, yet Yuka noticed a glimmer in his eyes that reminded her of Rayden. Hesitantly reaching out and taking the man's hand, Yuka asked in a whisper, "Rayden, is that really you?" The moment she touched the man's hand, a shock and chill raced up her arm and down her spine, causing her to let go and collapse with a cry. Kohta caught her. At the same time, the diclonius man shrieked in pain, his back arching. Lucy controlled him as he writhed in mental and physical pain for a few moments before calming down.

"Yuka, what happened?" Kohta asked intensely as he set her on her feet. "Are you all right?"

Yuka shook her head with her eyes closed. "Whoa…what a jolt!" she cried. When she opened her eyes and saw the man writhing in Lucy's grasp, she instantly knew who it was. "Oh my god," she breathed, looking at Kohta with astonishment. "It's Rayden. I know it! It may not be his old body, but it's him. I'm sure of it. But how?"

"I have no idea," Kohta replied as the diclonius calmed down in Lucy's grasp.

When the man calmed down, Yuka rushed to him, grabbing his hand. "Rayden, Rayden, can you hear me? Wake up, Rayden," she called urgently.

The diclonius moaned and shook his head. His eyelids fluttered and then opened. His first sight was Yuka with a look of extreme concern staring back at him. "Yuka…, my precious angel," he moaned softly. "Is that you or am I still dreaming?"

"Yes Rayden," Yuka sobbed joyously. "It's me."

"By the gods and Dragons of Heaven and Earth," the diclonius swore, "…IT WORKED! I made it!"

"Who are you?" Lucy demanded, holding on to him so he couldn't escape.

He looked up into Lucy's face and smiled Rayden's trademark smile. "You know who I am, my Queen. I am Rayden Seiyuchin, son of Mamoru and Yuki Seiyuchin, brother to Izanami Usagi Seiyuchin, and I owe you and Master Kohta my very existence as an immortal soul. Here, connect with me and my piece of the Collective granted to me by Izanami, Ai, Yuan Zhi, and the Dragon Emperor, Ryu-Wo-Chin now that it is free." He held out his hand to Lucy, who took it in hers. She released a vector out of her hand and into Rayden, connecting and confirming Rayden's existence as a true diclonius and father of their race.

Lucy smiled warmly at Rayden as she let go of his hand. "Very well done, my friend…very well done indeed. What deal did you made with the Dragon Emperor for you to make it back here?"

"The deal, my Queen," Rayden stated, "…was that if I found the right door, I could return to this dimension. But the price was my power and memories…my very identity. I had to surrender all the power I gained as the father of our kind and start over from scratch like any other diclonius coming into this plane would. But I wouldn't have to start as an infant. I return to the age I was when I died. That was twenty years old. Furthermore, I would not remember who I was until I touched the one who cared for me the most in this world." He looked at Yuka. "Your love drew me back to your world and save me. It has given me a second chance to live the life I was supposed to have lived. I've loved you from the moment I saw you, Yuka. You are the only reason I exist in this dimension."

"But there's more to this deal than you're saying," Lucy intruded. "What is it? Something is still not right. I can feel it."

"You're very perceptive, Lucy," Rayden replied. "There is more. The price I paid is steeper than you realize. Yuka was to be the key to unlocking the memories of my identity. But, after that happens, I am going to lose all memory of my past life, including the knowledge I acquired while alive and imprisoned by Calidor. The only thing I am allowed to remember is who my parents are, that Izanami is my twin sister, and my contact with Yuka while prisoner of Calidor. Beyond that, everything else is to be ripped from my mind forever so that I may start over and learn to be a diclonius the way I was supposed to have. Even my memories of the Nexus are fast vanishing as I speak. There was one other thing that the dragon said before I was allowed to come through. It had something to do with keeping the balance of the multiverse or something like that. Apparently, my dark twin had to come through too in order to keep the balance of good and evil in the universe straight. He didn't tell me who this dark twin was, nor did I see this person or thing, or whatever it was. Oh no…it's fading away and I can't stop it." His face contorted with confusion. "What on earth was I talking about, my Queen?"

Lucy patted him on the shoulder as Rayden lay in her lap. "Don't worry about it. You've said more than enough. Now let's make sure of what you do remember. What is your name?"

"I am Rayden Seiyuchin," Rayden stated. "My sister is Izanami Seiyuchin and she died with my parents Mamoru and Yuki Seiyuchin when I was a child. I am a diclonius who still has doubts about why I'm here, but I do know that Fate has allowed me to find my only true love again, Yuka, along with my Queen and her King. I am here to serve you and your king, Lucy, as I am here to serve my true love Yuka, and to make sure she is happy and that nothing ever happens to her, ever. That's pretty much all I know now."

"He's been left with nothing but the barest basics that will allow him to function in our world, Lucy," Kohta stated. "And even some of that is erroneous; though it is easily remedied. I guess it's for the best since he has to earn his place once again in the Collective by living the way he was meant to."

"True," Lucy stated, laying Rayden back on his bed. "His education as one of us begins now." Turning to Rayden, she said, "You've done something no one has ever done before, Rayden, and paid a great price for it. Your love for Yuka has transcended time and space, and brought you back to her. Don't take this chance for granted. You will not get another."

"I understand," Rayden stated. "I trust that you will teach me what I need to know, my Queen, so that I may be a fit servant for you and Yuka."

"Lesson one," Kohta declared, "You are no one's servant. You are diclonius, the father of your race and you will not to submit to anyone, unless you choose to submit yourself. You are your own man with free will and the power to exercise it."

"I see," Rayden stated.

"But," Lucy intruded, "you are still part of the larger diclonius organism. We diclonius are a hive mind and I am the Queen. I am the only one you really need to obey. My will is law in our diclonius Collective and world. And I have declared that we will not attack our human brothers and sisters maliciously without cause. Killing them just because they are humans will no longer be tolerated. But you do have the authority to protect yourself with lethal force when you are confronted with lethal force. I have said that we will live in peace with those humans, like Yuka for instance, who have decided to live in peace with us. Those are really the only stipulations I have for you. Do you think that is reasonable? All we ever wanted was to be left alone and live in peace."

"Absolutely," Rayden stated as Yuka sat down next to him, holding his hand. "I have no problems with the rules you set down, my Queen. I am my own person and have a right to do as I please as long as it doesn't violate your orders, right?"

"Right," Lucy stated. "Sounds like you understand your place in our world now. We'll educate you about your past when the time is right. But right now, relax and recover your strength. I'm sure Yuka will be more than happy to help you. Am I right?"

"Yes," Yuka murmured softly, tears streaming from her eyes. "I didn't think it possible, but here he is. This is a miracle I didn't believe could ever happen. I'm not going to let him get away."

"I know you won't," Kohta said with a smile. "Now you know the joy I have with Lucy."

"I do, Kohta," Yuka declared, rising from her seat. She limped to Kohta and embraced him fondly. "Better yet, I now understand why you stood with Lucy no matter what. Forgive me for being such a pain?"

"Of course I do," Kohta answered, joy bubbling in his heart for the first time in a long time. "You are my Gemini, and that will never change. We will always be blood and family."

"That we will," Yuka stated.

Mayu moved in and put her arm around both Kohta and Yuka, standing between them. "I love you guys. Thank you for saving me."

Nana jumped in and put her arm around Kohta, saying, "So do I; you have given me a family I wouldn't trade for anything in the whole universe. The world tried to kill us and we beat the world. What does that say about our family?" She looked Kohta in the eye with the greatest love he'd ever seen in any one person apart from Lucy. "Kohta," Nana said softly, her voice choked with emotion, "you have done something I've never seen done. You kept your promise to keep us safe, no matter how bad things got. You repeatedly put your life in danger to save us. But more than that, you became one of us to do it. You sacrificed your human part to save us. I am proud…very proud to call you my father and Lucy my mother. Both of you have saved our family from extinction." Nana reached out with her left hand to Lucy. "Come and be part of our family, Lucy."

This display of raw emotion on Nana's part shocked Lucy and she hesitantly came to Nana. Her impulse was to withdraw, but Lucy allowed Nyu's feelings of love to guide her. Nana turned to Lucy and embraced her as not just a sister, but as a daughter. "I've always known you were a good person deep down, Lucy. Now you have proven it. We love you and I love you."

Lucy's heart pounded as her skin flushed. The feeling of being wanted and accepted thrilled her, even if it came from a silpelit like Nana. She put her arms around Nana and whispered, "I love you too. And thank you, Nana, for having faith in me when no one else did. It didn't go unnoticed."

"That's what I'm here for," Nana chimed pleasantly as she backed away from Lucy. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm so happy that we are now a family again."

"Amen to that," Mayu crowed, "And may I point out that our family is fixing to add a new member."

"That's correct," Kohta stated, looking over at Rayden. "You have a place with us, Rayden. I'm sure Yuka won't have it any other way. She is rather stubborn that way, you know."

Yuka punched Kohta in the arm. "Kohta…that's not very nice."

"But he's right," Rayden agreed. "Your stubbornness is what allowed you to survive and touch my heart in the darkness. Fate truly cast you as my guardian angel destined to save me from that darkness."

Yuka sat down next to Rayden and held his hand. "I guess you're right. It may have been my stubbornness that helped me keep my humanity in Calidor's prison."

"Shh," Kohta hissed. "There's no need to open up those wounds again. Don't speak of your torments at the hand of that demon again, not unless you want to."

Yuka nodded. "True…I'm still haunted by it though."

"And you probably will be for the rest of your life," Fargo stated, having watched the entire drama unfold from the background with Suko, Aiko, and Myra. "But don't let that bother you. I'm sure this fine young man will help you deal with it."

"I'm sure he will," Yuka said with a warm smile.

"You people sure are strange," Jared commented. "But strange in a good way."

"You could say that," Kohta answered. "I dare say there isn't a family like ours anywhere else on this miserable planet."

"True," Jared answered. "But what are you going to do now? There are still apparently a great number of people who still hate your guts and want you dead."

"That is a good question," Aiko called out, walking up slowly leaning on Suko's arm. "I may have been out of commission for the biggest portion of this shit, but from what I've seen so far since I woke up, there's apparently anywhere from a third to half of the human population that is left that still believe the diclonius are responsible for this catastrophe and want us dead. Is there truly any place on this planet that is truly safe from reprisals of these idiots?"

"I don't rightly know," Kohta stated. "But we can't allow them to dictate our lives."

"Right now, the safest place is right here," Fargo declared. "We have the ability to move and not be spotted with this ship. But unfortunately, we can't stay on board this ship forever. We need a safe place to harbor, a sanctuary…somewhere the people of the world don't know about or even care about. We need another Island of the Collective."

"I wish I could help," Rayden called out. "But apparently my memories of past deeds not connected directly to Yuka are fading away into the oblivion of forgetfulness."

"Don't worry about it," Lucy murmured calmly. "I don't know where this safe have is right now, but I think I might know who does."

"You think the Dragon Emperor may know something?" Fargo asked.

"Maybe," Lucy stated. "But we also have Izanami, Ai, and Yuan Zhi who may have ideas. But let's not bother ourselves with that right now. Something is seriously wrong. I can feel it at a distance. Whatever it is has a distinctively familiar feel to it too. Before Rayden's memories of the deal with the Dragon Emperor faded away, he said that part of the deal was having his dark twin come through at the same time he did in order to keep the balance of the multiverse straight. I believe I'm feeling that presence right now."

Kohta suddenly gasped as he felt it too. "Oh boy…I'm feeling it now too. And it does feel very familiar and it's gaining strength."

"Is it a diclonius?" Myra asked.

"I don't think so," Lucy stated cautiously. "I feels vaguely diclonius, but at the same time, it feels human too. The last time I felt that kind of evil twinge, Bandoh was close by."

Kohta' eyes grew wide. "It can't be," he moaned in dismay. "God…anyone, anything but him; he promised to leave us alone forever."

"Evil seldom honors promises," Fargo noted. "Can you positively identify it as Bandoh, Lucy?"

"Not at the moment," Lucy growled. "There is some kind of terrible interference scrambling the signal I'm getting."

"Maybe it's another storm?" Mayu suggested. "Since Rayden appeared in the middle of a huge storm, maybe there's another storm marking where this other guy is appearing?"

"That is a distinct possibility," Fargo declared, walking to the intercom. Pushing the button, he called out, "Bridge, this is Fargo."

"What is it, Captain?" Karosuma called back through the radio.

"I need someone to check the satellites and see if there's another weird storm like the one we just went into somewhere else on the planet, Miss Karosuma," Fargo ordered.

Chris came on the speaker. "Sir, you should know that the storm raging over our heads is falling apart as I speak. It's like someone turned off the key to the storm's engine. It's down to a low category 1 storm and dropping like a rock."

Everyone looked at each other with astonishment. "You don't say," Fargo answered Chris. "That's really strange."

"But not as strange as this," Chris returned. "As this storm has diminished, another storm exploded over Kyushu with its eye is right over Tsukumi. Sir, I don't think this is a coincidence. Something really strange is happening here and no one knows what it is."

"How big is the storm?" Fargo asked.

"Borderline Category 4 and rising rapidly," Chris stated. "It formed six hours ago and exploded in the last three, jumping from a Category 1 to a Category 4 in that time. The pressure in this thing is dropping like a stone in Kyushu and the satellite shots show a storm over 1000 kilometers across with continuous lightning and plasma discharges flashing through the storm, apparently feeding it."

"Is the storm moving?" Lucy called out.

"That's the really strange part," Chris answered. "This storm is sitting still, spinning like a top. From the satellite shots, it looks like a black hole with the eye completely black."

A voice called out over the speaker, "Chris, the storm just jumped to a solid Category 5."

"I'll be right up, Chris," Fargo stated into the intercom. "Fargo out." Turning to Lucy and those in the infirmary, he said, "I must go to the bridge to see about this; if you will excuse me."

"I'm coming," Lucy stated.

"Me too," Kohta agreed. "Mayu, Nana…stay here with Yuka and Rayden."

"Sure," Mayu and Nana chimed in unison as Lucy and Kohta followed Fargo to the bridge.

Minutes later, Fargo, Lucy, and Kohta watched the satellite feed over Kyushu in Fargo's ready room. Ron sat at the computer, making sure the feed was coming through all right. "Well, I guess we can be thankful that portion of Japan was deserted before the storm appeared," Kohta commented.

"Maybe, maybe not," Fargo growled. "That portion of Japan didn't get the brunt of the nuclear attacks. There may be some survivors hiding out in the hills. But with this storm, anyone in there will most likely be killed."

"Look at that," Lucy murmured in awe as the storm swirled like a whirlpool of clouds draining into a hole. "It looks like the center is drawing everything to it. Captain, is there some way we can track gravitational fields? I think this may be a dimensional rift like the one the Island of the Collective sat in."

"You think there may be some kind of gravitational flux from a dimensional contact?" Fargo asked.

"Maybe," Lucy replied.

"Ron," Fargo called out.

"I'm already on it," Ron stated. "There is a program that uses variations in sea level combined with electromagnetic field measurements to determine gravitational anomalies. Let me see if I can pull it up." His fingers danced across the keyboard for a few moments, and then a grid superimposed itself on the satellite feed. It showed minor fluxuations in the gravitational flux around Japan, except for the center of the storm, which showed a deep gravity-well just off shore of Tsukumi.

"My god," Kohta breathed. "What is going on there?"

"I don't know," Lucy replied. "But I think we are about to find out."

No more than she had spoke, a coronal burst of light flashed from the center of the storm, pulsing out in all directions, blinding the satellites. Lucy and Kohta flinched as a flash of searing pain raced up their spines and smashed into their brains. Lucy cried out in pain, collapsing to the floor unconscious. Kohta's eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out cold. Fargo and Ron felt a tingling sensation when the coronal burst went off, but it didn't affect them seriously. They rushed to Lucy and Kohta's assistance and tried to revive them.

At the same moment on Kyushu, a thirty-meter ball of blue fire similar what destroyed the Hildebrandt appeared at the shrine of the Stone Buddhas, burning every shred of organic material to ashes yet leaving the Stone Buddhas scorched, but otherwise unscathed when the fireball exploded in a small mushroom cloud. As the smoke cleared in the driving rain, a naked male figure stirred at the feet of the statues, apparently completely unhurt by the fire. A groan rose from the misshapen creature that appeared to be a patchwork Frankenstein composite of human, diclonius, and machine. Lightning flashed, followed by an earthshaking peal of thunder that further roused the creature from its unconscious state. His eyes flickered and slowly opened as he rolled on his side. A gasp escaped his lips as his lungs filled with air. After a coughing fit, he groaned, feeling his body. Then his sight fell on the scorched Stone Buddhas, being lit by fires all around him from the demolished shrine. "Hmmm," the creature moaned, "this looks vaguely familiar." With a maximum amount of effort, the creature pushed himself to a sitting position as he looked at the statues.

His shattered memory started to coalesce. A seriously wounded young boy sat in front of the Buddhas calling him Bandoh. After a few moments, the creature noticed the rock overhang that sheltered the statues, so he crawled to it to get out of the driving rain. Leaning against the rock wall, more memories of the boy rose. The name Kohta became a name attached to the boy's face. A particularly vivid memory burst forth into the creature's consciousness. The boy was standing on a deserted beach, pushing his head to the barrel of a .50 caliber pistol being held by the creature. The name Bandoh echoed from the boy's lips as he dared the creature to kill him.

That memory dissolved into another memory of the same boy training the .50 caliber pistol on the creature inside a kitchen. The gun discharged and the creature screamed in mortal agony as the bullet blew him apart. Darkness swallowed the memory as the creature gasped for breath, holding his belly. "What's this?" he snarled as another memory exploded into his consciousness. He was without arms or legs in a metal cell as a malevolent fog swallowed his body and mind, followed by a searing flash that tore his body apart one atom at a time. As that horrendous memory faded to black, he uttered a terrible scream that echoed across the deserted countryside despite the storm. The image of a maroon-haired diclonius girl with a cold, calculating look on her face danced before his eyes. His ire rose at the ghostly image fading in and out of his mind. A name suddenly latched on to the image of the girl: Lucy. Yet, his ire and hate for the girl mixed with confusion because he couldn't remember who she was. "What's happening to me?" he moaned as his senses became more attuned to the world around him.

A voice rumbled from the nearest Stone Buddha. "Bandoh," it called, "…Bandoh."

"Whose there?" the creature answered, filled with a mix of anger and fear.

The Stone Buddha abruptly swiveled on its base, facing the creature. "Bandoh," the Buddha called out with glowing eyes.

The creature saw the statue move and speak to him. "Wha…what are you?"

"It doesn't matter," the Buddha stated calmly. "But what is important is who you are and why you have been given this last chance."

"What are you talking about?" the creature hissed.

"You don't remember who you are," the Buddha stated, "…or how you came to be at my feet. That is why I speak to you now. Do you know who you are?"

A pang of deep fear raced through the creature as he tried to remember who he was. "No," he mumbled. "My memory is shattered and I can only remember pieces and fragments. The image of this boy and a maroon-haired girl with horns keep appearing in my mind along with a name that this boy keeps saying."

"And what name is that?" the Buddha asked.

"He keeps calling me Bandoh," the creature stated. "But I don't really know who I am. One memory that keeps arising is this kid shooting me dead, apparently with my own gun."

"You remember events of your past, Bandoh," the Buddha stated. "The boy Kohta keeps calling you Bandoh in your memories because that is who you are. Your name is Bandoh and your fate has been intertwined with that of the Diclonius Queen and her King because of the darkness that drove you to your destruction."

"What do you mean?" the creature asked pointedly. "How is my fate connected with this diclonius Queen and her king?"

"Bandoh," the Buddha answered calmly. "You have been killed twice in the war between the human and diclonius worlds: once by the boy in your memories because you hunted him and his diclonius wife, and second by the demon Calidor when you helped the boy and his friends save the girl Mayu from the demon's hand at the Institute in what used to be Kamakura. The gods have granted you and one other the unique opportunity to return to the plane of the living for one last chance to redeem your immortal souls. The other one is the father of the diclonius race, Rayden. You have been given this chance because of your search for redemption after your first resurrection. This is your chance, Bandoh. The Eternal Council has allowed the Dragon Emperor to send you both back to the plane of the living through the Nexus of all Realities to prove you both."

The creature's memories stirred at the mention of Mayu and her face floated into his memories. "Mayu," he murmured, straining at his shattered consciousness to find the answers he desperately wanted. Suddenly, the swirl of fragmentary memories started snapping together and the name Bandoh rose to the top of his mind. "Bandoh…," he whispered. "My name is Bandoh." When he spoke those words, his identity solidified and he knew who he was. "Yes, I am Bandoh!" he shouted. A gasp escaped his lips as he cried out, "I remember! Mayu; wait, is she still alive?"

"Yes," the Buddha replied. "She is, as is the boy Kohta, the diclonius Queen Lucy, and the rest of their family. They still live, though eternally scarred by the darkness of the Chaos Lord they banished to the Dark Dimensions."

A relieved look crossed Bandoh's face. "I'm glad Mayu is still alive," he said. "She didn't deserve to get caught up in that shit." A thought suddenly formed in Bandoh's fractured mind and he spoke it. "Wait; if I was dead and now I'm alive, what's the catch for me being allowed to come back? I know there's a fucking catch here somewhere."

"The 'catch' as you put it is this," the Buddha stated. "You've been stripped of your diclonius power and must start from scratch like every diclonius must when they enter this plane of existence. The power you had because of your creation as a hybrid diclonius/human cyborg in the Lazarus labs is gone. Furthermore, memories of your time while dead and about the Nexus has been stripped from you forever. You will be allowed to keep your memories while you still lived so that you may follow through on your path to redemption or damnation. This is the only chance you have to make amends for what you did. Don't waste it."

"I don't plan to," Bandoh said with a wry smile creeping across his lips. "But why did this Rayden get the same chance I did?"

"You got your chance because of him," the Buddha said. "In order to transverse the Nexus and reenter this dimension, he had to agree to let his dark twin return in order to maintain the balance between Light and Darkness in the universe. You are his dark twin. That is why you are here. Now go and redeem yourself, Bandoh. Find the peace you searched for cleaning the beaches of Kamakura." The glowing eyes of the Stone Buddha statue faded away, leaving Bandoh to ponder his new state.

Bandoh's memories slowly pieced together as he stood up. Remembering Kohta and Lucy, a wicked smile crossed his lips as he leaned on the rock wall beside the Buddha that had supernaturally spoken to him. "I don't know what the fuck is going on here, but I know one thing. Bandoh is back and this time, no one is going to stop me: not that stupid shit Kohta, or his bitch queen Lucy." A sigh escaped his lips. "But I'd just as soon not see those fuckers ever again. I did promise them. Besides, there's a whole world out there just waiting for me. It's time for me to make my own destiny." With that, Bandoh walked out into the waning storm to make his own destiny.

Back on the Chimera in the infirmary, Lucy and Kohta came to with a moan. Kohta's eyes flickered and opened, seeing Dr. Quang hovering over him as he laid on a bed hooked up to monitoring equipment. "Are you all right, son?" Quang asked, shining a light into Kohta's eyes, checking his pupil dilation.

"Get that light out of my eyes, doctor," Kohta growled, waving his hand to shoo away the light. When Quang removed the light, Kohta sighed. "Thanks doc. Does anyone know what the hell just happened? I feel like my head tried to explode."

"Not a clue," Quang replied.

On the bed next to him lay Lucy with Ravenclaw hovering over her, checking her vitals. "We were hit by a dimensional shockwave, Kohta," Lucy called out weakly. "You were right to think that there was a dimensional contact happening. The contact apparently happened when we saw the flash. The energy from the dimensional contact knocked the shit out of us because of our connection to the Collective."

"Was it the dark twin Rayden spoke of?" Fargo asked from the foot of Lucy's bed, having been there the whole time they were unconscious.

"Yes," Lucy moaned as she rubbed her right temple. "And it's as I feared. Rayden's dark twin is Bandoh. He's back."

Kohta closed his eyes and swore softly. "That's all we need now for that unstable son of a bitch to be living again. What if he decides to come after us again?"

"Then he's going back to hell," Lucy said icily. "But I don't think he's stupid enough to do something like that. Furthermore, when I finally locked in on him, I discovered he apparently has many of the same restrictions on him that Rayden has. His diclonius power is minimal, just like Rayden, so it will take him a long time to climb back up to the power level he was when we fought Calidor at the Institute."

"But he should be watched," Kohta insisted. "We can't trust his intentions. As you put it yourself, the darkness in Bandoh was blacker than that of Calidor."

"Believe me, he will be monitored," Lucy stated. "I'm not going to let a loose cannon like him fuck everything up for us and everyone else. I'll kill him myself if he crosses the line I laid down."

"That puts my mind at ease," Kohta replied with a sigh. "We need to disappear to someplace no one will ever find us."

"I have some thoughts on that," Lucy stated as Ravenclaw helped her sit up. "But first, there's a place we must go. Captain, set course for the northern part of Hokkaido. I mean to walk the ground Rayden and Izanami walked 1700 years ago to bring closure for them."

"I thought you might want to do that eventually, milady," Fargo stated. "We'll head that way at once." With that, Fargo left the infirmary on a mission. Minutes later the Chimera shifted course to the northwest, heading for Hokkaido Island and a rendezvous with the ancient land of the diclonius origin.

"When did you decide that you wanted to walk where Izanami and Rayden walked?" Kohta asked as he lay on his bed.

"The moment I found out that Rayden had returned to us," Lucy stated. "He has to walk the ground there for closure so he can release the guilt of what he did."

"Sounds good to me," Kohta stated. "Who knows? Maybe we will find our sanctuary there?"

"We shall see," Lucy stated coolly. "We shall see."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Almost done. Rayden returns to the land of the living, drawn by his love for Yuka, but he is stripped of his diclonius power and must earn his place in the Collective as all diclonius must. However, he isn't the only one who returns from beyond the gates of death. As part of the deal to let Rayden traverse the Nexus in search of Yuka, he must allow his dark twin Bandoh to return as well to keep the balance of Light and Darkness in the universe in equilibrium. When Lucy and Kohta find out about Bandoh's return to the world of the living, they are not amused, vowing to keep an eye on him in case he reneges on his promise to keep away from them. Will Bandoh honor his word and find his destiny separate from Lucy and Kohta, or will he succumb to his own dark heart? Also, with Lucy determined to walk the diclonius ancient source in Hokkaido to bring closure to Rayden and Izanami, what will she find there? Will she find a place where Rayden can find closure for his sins, or will it just be a wild goose chase? Furthermore, will they find the new Island of the Collective sanctuary for the diclonius in Hokkaido, as Kohta hopes, or will their search for the Shangri-La once again elude them. Read on to find out. As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	42. Chapter 42 Rayden's Redemption

Chapter 42

Rayden's Redemption

A week after plucking Rayden from the midst of a category 5 typhoon south of Hawaii, the Chimera anchored two kilometers off the east side of Hokkaido Island…the only sizeable landmass in Japan that escaped the nuclear terror of the diclonius apocalypse spawned by Calidor. Lucy and Kohta led a team of fourteen people into what used to be the Daisetsuzan National Park in the center of the island in search of Rayden's original home. Lucy handpicked the team to go with her and Kohta, which included Rayden, Fargo, Dr. Ravenclaw, security chief Phillip Zubiar, Myra, Mayu, Nana, Yuka, Aiko, Tao, Li Mei, Sen, Saito, and Emperor Watanabe. A cold wind blew in from the northeast as they passed by the spa on the shore of a small lake on the eastern side of the park. Snow flurries began falling as they climbed into the mountainous gorge above the spa, following the small river feeding the lake. Yuka pulled her coat close to ward off the cold. "Do you know where you're going, Lucy?" she asked.

Without looking back as she followed a trail built by the spa owners, Lucy replied "Yes Yuka, the village where Rayden was born and died is not far up this river. I can feel it."

"My word, what a pretty place," Aiko commented, limping along with Myra shadowing her. "I feel like I've walked back in time."

"You can thank the Japanese government for that," Fargo stated. "They had the foresight and good taste to make this whole area a national park so it wouldn't fall to the developer's bulldozer."

"That we did," Watanabe stated. "In fact, I had a hand in keeping this area pristine."

"I'm glad you did," Aiko replied. "I'm also glad to have my feet on dry land again. I'd almost forgotten what dry land felt like."

"I hear you, Aiko," Yuka chimed. "I prefer dry land over the ocean any day."

"What do you expect to find when we get there, Lucy?" Mayu queried.

"I don't know," Lucy admitted. "We may find nothing. But Izanami is leading me, so there must be something important that we need to find or do there. Besides, I need to see this place as much as Rayden does. It'll help me to identify our roots as diclonius."

Rayden stayed unusually quiet as they moved through the spruce and fir forest interspersed with deciduous hardwoods around them. His face betrayed great worry and anxiety that Yuka noticed. "What's wrong, Rayden?" Yuka asked softly. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Lucy overheard Yuka's question and she stopped their progress, turning to Rayden. Seeing and feeling his anxiety, she looked in his eye as she grabbed his hands. "Calm down, Rayden," Lucy murmured. "There's nothing to fear here. We're the only ones here."

Rayden eyed the surrounding forest suspiciously. "I wish that were true," he replied as everyone gathered around. "We're definitely not alone here. This place not only holds bad memories for me, but it is filled with angry ghosts that seek to destroy any who intrude on their solitude."

"You know something," Li Mei commented. "What is it? I sense something is leading you. You should let it lead you so you can find out what the root of your trouble is."

"Li Mei is right," Tao stated. "You should follow your instincts out here. Isn't that why we're here: to bring you home so that you may release your guilt and receive closure for wrongs done millennia ago?"

Kohta began sensing something odd in the vicinity; first noticing that the sounds of wildlife around them had suddenly ceased as the light snow drifted down around them. A twinge in his diclonius telepathy set him on his guard. "I think Rayden may be on to something," Kohta called out. "Something isn't right here."

"What do you mean, Master Kohta?" Phillip asked.

"Listen and tell me what you here besides us," Kohta instructed.

After a few moments, Mayu blurted out "I don't hear anything."

"It's more than that," Myra said cautiously. "The animals and insects have suddenly shut up like there's a predator in the area. This can't be good."

"What is it, Rayden?" Lucy asked him directly. "And no beating around the bush; you know something. Spit it out."

"I'm not sure what it is," Rayden replied. "I'm feeling something that I can't explain, something that's dreadfully familiar. Not only do I feel like I'm walking over my own grave, but I'm also sensing a presence that's as ancient and terrible as it is powerful. Worse yet, I can't tell whether it's friend or foe. We must tread very carefully in these woods. There are older and fouler things that hateful humans and deranged diclonius out here. I'm sure of it."

"Hmmm," Lucy rumbled. "So you're now feeling the same thing I've been sensing since before we found you. Something is going on here and this area seems to be the focus of it. Izanami is telling me to let you lead the way now, Rayden. Which way do we go?"

Rayden's instincts drew him off the path and up the ridge, toward the danger he felt. He began to tremble visibly as he pointed up the hill to the left. "I fear to go this way, but this is the direction we must go. My past lies up there somewhere."

When he hesitated, Lucy put her arm around him. "It's okay, Rayden. We won't let anything happen to you. You're family."

Yuka latched on to Rayden's hand and looked him in the eye. "You're not alone in this, Rayden. I'm with you all the way. Walk with me." Yuka's kind words strengthened his resolve and he started off the path with Yuka.

"We should keep quiet," Rayden warned. "No talking unless it's absolutely necessary. This is an evil place. We don't want to anger any gods or demons that live here."

"Absolutely," Kohta agreed, "…lead on Rayden." With that, Rayden and Yuka took up the lead with everyone else following close behind.

Rayden followed his nose and instincts through the dense spruce and fir forest lining the gorge, heading up the ridge. Twenty minutes later, they crossed a smaller spur ridge perpendicular to the main ridge they followed and descended into a place that had not seen the eyes of man since Rayden was a young man. Titanic spruce and fir trees rising sixty meters in the sky with trunks four meters plus across formed a natural grove in the bowl of the deep hollow before them. Massive oaks, maples, and hemlocks grew interspersed among the spruce and fir titans soaring over them. A stream cascaded over a twenty meter precipice to their left, flowing to the base of the cliff to a pool that fed a maze of pools and small streams flowing through the forest floor in the base of the hollow. Abundant mosses and ferns carpeted the forest floor around the flowing streams and pools. A fish jumped in the large pool, making a small splash as it ate a large dragonfly flying close to the water's surface. Rayden suddenly stopped and gawked as his memories swirled in his head; particularly memories of fishing with his sister in this place. Yuka stared in wordless wonder at the magnificence spread before her.

"Oh my lord," Aiko breathed in utter awe. "I didn't know places like this even existed. It's like out of a fairy tale."

"Oh," Ravenclaw murmured in delight, "this place is magical."

"What a lovely place," Nana cried, "I didn't know nature could be this beautiful."

"Indeed," Myra agreed, "It's truly a place time has forgotten."

"Oh my," Saito chimed. "What a serene scene. Did you know this place existed, your majesty?"

"No Saito," Watanabe answered. "This place shouldn't exist, not now. But here it is. I am very happy I pushed for this area to be set off as a national park. It would have been a sin for this place to see the edge of the developer's blade."

"I agree," Yuka called out, having overheard Watanabe's comment. "This place is absolutely heavenly."

Sen's wide eyes drank in the beauty and serenity of a place unspoiled by the hand of man. "Oh my," she murmured in wondrous admiration of the grove. Tears welled up in her as the memory of her father surfaced. A peace she never felt before filled her soul. "Never in my life have I ever seen such a peaceful place so full of unspoiled life. I finally feel that everything that has happened to me has meaning, even my dad's death. As strange as it sounds, I can feel him here."

Li Mei put a caring arm around Sen and gave her a friendly squeeze. "I'm sure you're right. He's with you wherever you go. I could be that the level of pure untainted life in this place is allowing you sensitive to your father's spirit within the Collective."

"Maybe," Sen whispered. "But I know that for the first time ever, I feel truly happy."

Li Mei smiled warmly at Sen. "I can see that. You finally understand there is more than blood and death in the world. That means you are well on your way to maturing in your power as a diclonius."

Lucy scanned the area, gawking at the beauty and grandeur of the scene before her, yet still sensing something terribly wrong with the entire scene. "This is where you fished with Izanami, isn't it?" she asked Rayden as she stood next to him.

Rayden cast a wary eye to Lucy and nodded. "Yes," he whispered. He pointed to the main pool at the base of the falls and added "That is where we fished. But the strange thing about it is this place hasn't changed at all since I last fished here. I can't understand it. The trees, the streams; all of it is exactly the same. It's like time decided to skip this place. It makes me nervous when I think that, especially after everything that has happened." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "Even when I fished here as a child, we did so with great care because the local tradition was that this place is the very heart of the forest on Hokkaido, and thus a place of gods and demons that they defended with lethal force. So we took great care not to disturb the sanctity of this place. We should do the same now. Come." With that, he led them to the main pool some one hundred meters away.

As they walked to the pool, Kohta looked around at the vastness of the place. It reminded him of the Nexus. Then a thought occurred to him about the place and the old myths concerning the heart of the forest. "Did you or Izanami ever see the Forest Spirit?" he asked.

"Forest Spirit," Sen asked, "What's that, Kohta?"

"Well, I seem to remember some of the ancient mythology about the primeval forests having giant guardian animals who had a king known as the Forest Spirit that ruled over the forest in the beginning of time," Kohta explained. "The Forest Spirit was rumored to be the ultimate giver of life and death. It's just a thought because I remember seeing a very good movie before everything went to shit that depicted the battle between man and the forest in Rayden's time." Another thought hit him and it rattled him to his core. His mouth wagged open for a moment before he could find the words.

Lucy saw his reaction to the thought and asked "What is it, Kohta?"

"I just remembered what Ryu-Wo-Chin told us about the Dragon Age," Kohta stated.

"And what was that, Master Kohta?" Phillip asked.

"He said that we weren't alone," Kohta stated, "…that we are just one intelligent species of several who live on this planet. He said in the Dragon Age when the Chaos Lords first descended to destroy this planet, all intelligent life gathered against the Chaos Lords in what he called the Eternal Council. Among those on the Eternal Council were the old gods, angels, demons, dragons, and things he called elementals. What shook me so is that if the mythology of the Forest Spirit has any base in fact, the Forest Spirit may be an elemental. But my mind rejects that idea. The idea that such a creature could exist is beyond my rational comprehension. Yet I don't deny that my heart believes that such a being may actually exist since Lucy and I have seen the Nexus and know that we are not alone in this universe. Calidor's existence alone proved that. I just don't know what to believe at this point. But I do know one thing; there's something about this place that has me all riled up. There's a formidable presence here that I cannot lock on to that may be dangerous to us. That's why I'm with Rayden in saying that we must be very careful not to instigate any conflict in this place. This is a sacred place that must not see bloodshed under any circumstances."

Feeling the same formidable presence Kohta did without being able to determine its location infuriated Lucy and made her extra cautious. "Kohta's right," Lucy agreed. "We must tread very carefully in this place. I don't want to have to fight another monster like Calidor."

"Calidor is not the problem here, Lucy," Rayden called out as he stopped at the edge of the main pool. Images of his past fishing with Izanami flitted into his consciousness. "There's a presence about this place that was here even when I last walked here; a presence that felt like it was as old as the world itself. As long as we lived in peace with the forest, the forest gave us of its bounty freely. Though I never did see that presence take a physical form. But I do know that as I stand here looking into this pool, my memories of this place are settling into place. Here Izanami and I felt safe…" His words trailed off as he looked across the pool, seeming staring into infinity.

Lucy noticed his blank look and touched him on the hand with her hand. "Rayden…what is it?"

Tears began flowing down his cheeks and a wail of anguish erupted from Rayden as he fell to his knees. Lucy immediately dropped to her knees beside him, holding his hands while Yuka wrapped her arms around Rayden. "What's wrong, Rayden?" Yuka asked with great concern. "You can tell me."

"You don't understand," Rayden sobbed as everyone else gathered around for emotional support. "The evil that took me that cursed day…the horror of watching someone else control my body and kill out of pure hate and rage….How can I ever forgive myself for that? How can I release that guilt? I am ultimately responsible for letting Calidor take me. I am; no one else! Now I am here in the one sanctuary of peace I had as a child and I feel like I'm desecrating a temple! I should have never come here!"

"Rayden…Rayden!" Lucy snapped, getting his attention with her sharp tone. When she had his attention, she said in a gentler tone "You must let this go. Let go of this poison. It will destroy you again if you don't."

"How?" Rayden asked desperately.

A voice suddenly rumbled from every direction, seemingly coming from forest itself "Calm yourself, Rayden Seiyuchin, and be at peace." Every diclonius except Rayden went into a defensive alert, vectors ready on a hair-trigger to deal with any potential enemy. Mayu shadowed Nana out of fear of this new unknown as the group huddled to protect itself. A guttural rumble echoed from the forest as a ghostly gigantic tiger appeared out of the forest beyond the far side of the pool. Its glowing form stood two meters at the shoulder and six meters from its head to the tip of its tail. A shaggy coat of snow white fur with black stripes covered the giant cat. Its head was easily large enough to bite off a human head. The most striking feature of the cat was its eyes: a cool sky blue that looked nearly human, but not quite. The cat stood there staring at Rayden, sniffing the air.

"Oh my god," Sen cried, "What is that?"

"It's a tiger," Saito replied, intrigued by the ghostly cat's appearance. "But it's not like any tiger I've ever seen or heard of. It's the size of pickup truck and it's glowing."

"Shut up, everyone," Lucy snapped, eyeing the spectral cat with suspicion and fear. "We don't want to set it off."

The cat suddenly turned its head to Kohta, looking him directly in the eye. A fierce rumble echoed from the cat's throat. Kohta felt his heart fall into his shoes, making him sweat even though the air temperature supported the light snow that fell around them. Yet Kohta locked eyes with the great cat, not willing to concede to his fear. He immediately found a telepathic connection to the ghost cat that astounded him, driving his fear away. "Wait," Kohta said softly. "This is no ordinary ghost tiger. He's here for Rayden." Speaking to the cat, Kohta asked "What is your name, my friend?"

To everyone's astonishment, including Lucy, the ghost tiger spoke audibly. "I am Tora; the guardian of this forest and of its sacred places. I have come for Rayden Seiyuchin."

"What do you mean you have come for him?" Lucy demanded.

"Never fear, Queen of the Dragons of Heaven and Earth," Tora answered. "I mean only to be a guide for Rayden in his search for redemption." The giant ghost cat walked across the pool without making a ripple on its surface. Everyone backed away as the cat came ashore, looking more like a real animal than an apparition. Looking at Rayden, Tora grimaced with a hiss, showing his huge eight-inch teeth. "Much have you to answer for, Rayden. This is why the Dragon Emperor allowed you to traverse the Nexus of all Realities. Now muster your courage and face the demons of your past as Queen Lucy did."

Lucy's face fell with dismay. "Wait just one minute," she intruded. "He has already faced his demons when he helped me and Kohta destroy Calidor in his own castle; so don't speak to me of demons. He just needs to release his guilt and get some closure."

"Mind your tongue, Queen Lucy," Tora snapped. "This is part of his deal to return to this dimension."

Lucy suddenly realized that there was more going on than Rayden facing his demons. Her mind went instantly to the dead sailors on the Hildebrandt where they found Rayden, not to mention the killer tsunami that killed Tanya on the Chimera and destroyed over twenty million people around the world when the Island of the Collective phased into another dimension. Her anger boiled at the thought. "No, you fucking ghost cat, I will not mind my tongue. I am the Queen of every diclonius who ever lived and Rayden is one of my people. I will not shut up," she replied viciously. "It is by my will that this planet survived Calidor's attempted genocide of all life. I will not be silent. We rescued Rayden from a storm caused by an apparent dimensional contact with the Nexus that killed twenty people on that tanker. Even worse yet, when the Island of the Collective ripped out of our dimension, the explosion killed twenty million innocent people, including a royal named Tanya whom I came to call sister. If this is about the deal Rayden made with Ryu-Wo-Chin, then I demand to know where he is. That dragon was responsible for all of this shit after we sent Calidor packing, including this so-called deal Rayden made that allowed Bandoh to come back too. Rayden does nothing until I find out what the real deal here is."

The tiger's face betrayed genuine surprise. "I did not know of these events, Queen Lucy. I'd like to know that myself. Such flagrant disregard for human life must be answered for, if what you say is true."

"It is true," Kohta declared. "I saw Tanya die in front of me when the wave from the Island of the Collective hit us. Did the Dragon Emperor tell you of Rayden's deal?"

"Some of it," Tora replied. "But he did not tell me that the dimensional contact caused a great loss of life, nor did I know that the hybrid Bandoh was allowed to return too. We forest guardians knew of Bandoh's unstable, and somewhat evil temperament while he yet lived. As you yourself said, your milady, Bandoh's darkness was as deep as Calidor's darkness. This is a disturbing turn of events." A rumbling sigh escaped the cat's lips. "Forgive me for my ignorance and rudeness to you, milady. Unfortunately, I do not know where the Dragon Emperor is presently. But I do know that as the guardian of the forest and the elemental Forest Spirit, I must be vigilant in my duties to protect this place. Rayden's actions still must be atoned for before he can stay here with the forest's blessing."

"I never intended to stay here," Rayden said softly. "I merely came here at the behest of my queen to release the guilt of what I allowed, and possibly find forgiveness in myself. I never intended to desecrate this holy place. I remember it as I see it now…a pristine place that afforded me and my sister a sanctuary of peace. All I want is forgiveness and to be allowed the second chance that I've apparently been allowed to have."

"Noble words and sentiments, Rayden," Tora stated. "But your forgiveness doesn't lie in this place, but in the place of your destruction. You must go there before you can have the peace you desire."

A noise drew the attention of everyone across the pool to the right. Tora turned to the noise as a hush fell over everyone. Lucy and Kohta gasped in astonishment to such a point that Lucy covered her mouth with her hand to hide her surprise. Kohta's mouth wagged open in utter amazement. As they looked through the trees, a huge animal bigger than Tora moved towards them. At first, it looked like an enormous deer with an equally massive crest of antlers branching out like tree limbs. As it closed in on the far side of the pool, its head looked almost like a cross between a deer head and a human head with a face that was almost human-looking. It had four toes on its feet that looked somewhat feline and canine at the same time. When the creature reached the far edge of the pool, its size became obvious: four meters at the shoulders and rump with a length of eight meters. Its head stood up above its shoulders another meter with the antler rack rising two meters above the skull while spanning a meter and a half across. A soft, eerie glow lit the creature, whose eyes resembled amber pools filled with life. Kohta's mouth wagged open as he locked eyes with the creature, seeing a familiar image of the Nexus in those amber eyes. The creature stopped at the edge of the pool, looking across at the group with its focus on Rayden.

In a hushed, reverent tone, Tora breathed, "Mark this day humans. This is the first time since the end of the Dragon Wars 5,000 years ago the elemental Forest Spirit has shown itself in a physical form." When Tora saw the Forest Spirit's attention on Rayden, he ordered, "Everyone should back away from Rayden. The Forest Spirit is the spirit of life and death. He is judging Rayden. Back away."

"No," Yuka balked, clinging to Rayden's arm. "I will not back away from Rayden. He is my soul mate and I will not allow anyone, even this Forest Spirit to come between us."

"Neither will I," Lucy declared. "If this amazing creature really is a forest god of old, then I will not leave my family to stand alone as it judges one of us."

Kohta motioned to everyone else to back away as he stood next to Rayden, putting his hands firmly on Rayden's shoulders. Mayu and Nana ignored Kohta's unspoken order, rushing forward and standing with Kohta, Lucy, Yuka, and Rayden. "We are a family and will be judged by this creature as a family," Kohta declared. "Lucy, this creature is the presence I've felt since we've got here. This Forest Spirit is as old as the Dragon Emperor, if not older and I'm sure it has the power of life and death as Tora suggests."

"Very well," Tora rumbled. He looked to the Forest Spirit, who nodded at him. Tora subsequently backed away to a discreet distance as the strange elemental stepped on the water, trotting across the pool without sinking. When it set foot on the near shore, Kohta saw the plant life where it stepped first die and then sprout with vigor.

Lucy felt the cold edge of fear freeze her spine as the creature walked right up to them, stopping two paces away. It looked down at Rayden, Kohta, Yuka, Mayu, Nana, and Lucy, lowering its head to look them in the eye. Its lips curled into an eerie smile as it invaded every mind present effortlessly. "Do not fear, my young friends," it said. "I will not harm you. It has been nearly five millennia since I have taken this form to interact with your kind. I felt you the moment you entered my domain and have seen the heart of Rayden, whom I watched over when he and his sister were children in my forest. Your father and mother taught you well, Rayden. When you came into my domain, you never took more than you and your family needed. But I was so grieved when the greed, fear, and arrogance of the villagers caused you to lose your way."

"Can you ever forgive me, great Forest Spirit?" Rayden begged, dropping to his knees before the old forest god. "I betrayed not only my humanity, my family, even my very soul, but also the forest and you, who so kindly provided our exiled family with food and shelter when no one else would. Please, I came to make amends for my fall."

"Rise, my young friend," the Forest Spirit answered. "We elementals delight when one turns away from death to life. The forest forgives you, but now you must do the hardest thing anyone can do. You must forgive yourself before you can free yourself from the chains of your past and the deal you made so unwisely with the Dragon Emperor."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked as Yuka and Kohta helped Rayden to his feet.

"As queen of your people, you have the right to know," the Forest Spirit answered, raising his head up. "The Nexus, as you have seen, is a very dangerous place, as is its guardian. But the Dragon Emperor is a treacherous being, haunted by his past. He failed to tell you the repercussions of a dimensional shift caused by opening the gates to the Nexus on this plane. I was terribly grieved when I saw that he forced the Island of the Collective to phase out of our dimension into another. He knew that would cause a destructive event of global proportions that would kill millions of innocent humans. But he did it anyway. There was no reason for him to have ripped a hole in our dimension to move the Nexus. The island could have remained in its dimensional bubble without ever having been discovered again."

"Wait a minute," Kohta intruded. "You mean to say the Dragon Emperor didn't have to move the Nexus, but shifted the island into another dimension anyway knowing it would kill all those people?"

"Yes," the Forest Spirit stated. "He did."

"Why would he do that?" Lucy asked, her anger at the Dragon Emperor growing.

"Because he feared the combined power of you and Master Kohta, milady," the Forest Spirit stated. "After seeing what you did to defeat the Chaos Lord and rebuild the diclonius Collective from the ashes of the old Collectives, he feared that you would turn your power on him. Moreover, the Dragon Emperor does not have a love for the humans like he did in the days of the Dragon Wars. He is still carrying a grudge over what happened at the end of the Dragon Age where humanity turned on his kind. It was a form of retribution on humanity for how they treated him and his fellow guardians after the Dragon Wars."

Kohta shook his head sadly. "And I thought Lucy held grudges. But this is insane. He must have known that Lucy would be pissed if he killed all those people on purpose."

"Exactly," the Forest Spirit stated. "But it goes further than that. The Dragon Emperor didn't tell Rayden or the hybrid Bandoh the full price of using the Nexus to return here. Because he moved the Nexus from our dimension before that deal, any dimensional contact would be inherently unstable and create massive temporal and environmental disruptions on the planet where these contacts take place. If he hadn't moved the Island, the dimensional contacts would have been much more stable and not have caused such death and destruction, which so grieved me to see."

"The storms," Yuka breathed. "You mean they were created from these disruptions?"

"Yes, my angelic Yuka," the Forest Spirit replied. "But not just that, because of the instability of the inter-dimensional contact, any being going through would be robbed of their memories, power, even their identity permanently. We elementals who are left saw the deal Rayden made to get back to his angel and we interfered with it at the behest of Fate, creating conditions within the transfer that would allow Rayden and Bandoh to keep the memories of their lives before the Nexus. The Dragon Emperor knows that only a balance of light and dark could come through a dimensional contact like that, so he picked Bandoh as Rayden's twin in the hope that he might create trouble for humanity. We elementals have stepped out of the shadows for the first time in ages to keep the Dragon Emperor's plot from causing the destruction you saw in the that vision when you first approached the Island of the Collective. The spirit of the Earth itself approached Bandoh when he appeared at the Shrine of the Stone Buddhas to give Bandoh the chance to redeem himself. Whether or not Bandoh follows the path to redemption remains to be seen. But as I said, Fate herself ordered our intervention because of your choice, milady, for the diclonius to live in peace with humans and the planet."

Lucy's eyes glowed with controlled rage. "How do we make the Dragon Emperor pay for this treachery?" she asked coldly. "His actions were a violation of what I promised."

"We are aware of this," the Forest Spirit replied. "But the Dragon Emperor is beyond your direct reach now."

"That really sucks," Kohta growled.

"I know you find it infuriating," the Forest Spirit stated. "The Dragon Emperor's actions have created trouble for all life on this planet. His grief over the loss of his partner and over the betrayal of his kind at the end of the Dragon Wars is beyond comprehension and is on the verge of being uncontainable. I suspect only with the reuniting of him with his rider and soul mate will he relinquish his anger and hate for humanity. He must see that humanity has changed since the end of the Dragon Wars. This is something you may be able to help with, Queen Lucy. The Dragon Rider Nariko resides somewhere within your Collective. If you can find him and reunite him with the Dragon Emperor, Nariko may be able to soften the Ryu-Wo-Chin's rage before he falls to the darkness he swore to battle and can upset the balance of the universe."

Lucy sighed deeply; her anger still evident. "I can do that. How can I contact Ryu?"

"It cannot be done from this dimension," the Forest Spirit declared. "But there is another way; a back door if you will. You have a connection to the Nexus inside your Collective. Remember, you rebuilt your Collective from the ashes of the old ones in the Nexus itself, so there is a singular gateway within your Collective to the Nexus. That is how you can contact the Dragon Emperor. It is an indirect way you can confront him."

"Good," Lucy said coolly. "At least now I know how to challenge him about the terrible loss of life he caused. But I will find this Nariko first. Finding him may give me some leverage over this dragon."

"Your wisdom is growing exponentially, Queen Lucy," the Forest Spirit stated. "Remember where you came from and the price you paid to get to this point. Only because you are the Queen of all Diclonius have I taken on this form to commune with you and give you guidance. Now that you know what the deal is with Rayden, you must take him to the place of his downfall so that he may release the darkness that still contaminates him." Turning his gaze to Rayden, the Forest Spirit commanded, "Rayden…you must now go from this place and seek your redemption. Do not return here until you are free of the darkness that still binds your heart. The forest forgives you, and so do your parents. Go and find forgiveness for yourself at the place of your darkest hour. Go." Without another word, the Forest Spirit turned and trotted walked back across the pool, disappearing into the forest like a ghost.

"Can you believe that?" Saito asked. "The myths are real. The Forest Spirit truly exists."

"And it is as I suspected," Kohta stated, "the Forest Spirit is an elemental being, which means that the other beings Ryu spoke of may also exists."

"I know," Lucy murmured, her anger now down to a slow simmer. "It's hard to believe. The world is truly not what we thought it was. Regardless of whether this Forest Spirit is one of the old elemental gods or not, it did have valuable information I needed. I am glad we came. This was something I needed to see in order to understand our world better." Turning to Rayden and seeing him trembling, she asked softly, "Are you okay, Rayden?"

"I think so," Rayden replied while holding on to Yuka. "I'm feeling like this nightmare I've endured is finally about to end. But I fear to go to the village. It was where I fell to Calidor. I don't know if I can handle it."

Kohta patted Rayden on the shoulder. "You're searching for that second chance. Well, here it is. If you want to truly have that life you were supposed to have lived, you must bury your past forever. Going to the village is the only way to do that."

"I know," Rayden stated. "But I fear that I might fall back into that darkness if confronted by it at the village."

"It won't happen," Yuka stated. "I won't let it."

"Neither will I," Lucy agreed. "You're going to be free of this guilt and darkness. That's a promise."

"I will escort you to your destiny, Rayden," the ghost tiger Tora called out. "Follow me to the place where your redemption can begin."

"Come on," Kohta urged. "We'll face this demon together, Rayden. Both Lucy and I know what it's like to face horrendous demons of your past." With that, Lucy, Kohta, and Yuka urged Rayden to follow the ghost cat while everyone else fell in behind them as Tora led them away from the sacred heart of the forest of Hokkaido, heading up the ridge.

The snow flurries became a light snow that started covering the forest floor as Tora turned northwestward, descending into another gorge. The trees became significantly smaller than those in the sacred hollow, but they still soared thirty plus meters into the sky. The farther they traveled, the more anxious Rayden became. Suddenly, they entered a small flattened area on the side of the gorge. An odd pile of rock greeted them in the center of this area that covered a couple of acres. Tora stopped and turned to Rayden. "Look around Rayden. Does this place seem familiar?" the ghost cat asked.

Rayden scanned the area as the group fanned out. Saito, Watanabe, and Sen explored the rock pile area. Rayden felt a cold chill race down his spine as Saito called out "This is an old homestead of some kind. Look here how the rocks are laid in a rectangular fashion for a foundation. And these are rather large stones too."

Lucy gazed at the area with growing interest as Kohta roamed through the area, following his instincts. "This is where it started, wasn't it?" Lucy asked Rayden softly. "This is where you lived, isn't it?"

Rayden complexion turned ashen as his memory snapped into place. Collapsing to his knees, tears welled up as he remembered his last bloody sight of his home the day the assassins came. Covering his mouth his hand, a mournful wail escaped his lips as Yuka pulled him into a caring embrace. "Let it go," she whispered to him. "It's time to bury your past."

Lucy squatted in front of Rayden as the others gathered around. Putting a consoling hand on his head, she said "I'm right. This is where they butchered your parents, isn't it?"

"Yes," Rayden croaked, sending out a single vector to Lucy to transmit the horror of the memory to her. She locked her vector with his and saw the terrible tragedy from Rayden's eyes. A deep disapproving growl rose from her as tears welled up in her eyes.

"The bastards!" Lucy snarled. "What a heinous act! You acted appropriately, Rayden."

"But I succumbed to the darkness," Rayden retorted. "My grief and rage over this single act of barbarism condemned me to untold misery at the hands of Calidor."

Tora walked over and looked down at Rayden. "See the truth of this place, Rayden. Look there to the ruins of your old home and accept your destiny."

Everyone looked towards the rock pile ruin of Rayden's ancestral home, seeing nothing but the snow-covered ruin. But Rayden saw something that made him gasp. He bolted to his feet and rushed to four smaller rock piles next to the ruin that sat in a line. Using his weak vectors, he cut the underbrush away from the piles while brushing the snow away. Everyone followed as he searched feverishly for something of great importance to him. "What's he looking for?" Sen asked.

"I don't know," Lucy answered. "But it's something he feels is very important."

"Those four rock piles are not just rock piles," Fargo stated. "If I am not mistaken, they are graves."

"Graves?" Yuka asked, holding on to Kohta's arm while watching Rayden work.

"Yes, Miss Yuka," Fargo answered. "I'm sure they're graves. I've seen these kinds of graves before where the rock is too close to the top of the ground to dig a proper grave. They put caps of rock like this over the body to keep the body from being disturbed by scavengers."

Rayden abruptly stopped and stared at four large stones with some form of writing on them, each at one end of the graves. Breaking into sobs, he knelt down with his face to the earth. Lucy, Kohta, and Yuka moved in, careful not to tread on what they believed to be sacred ground. Lucy and Kohta stopped a few steps back; close enough to see the writing on the stones as Yuka drew Rayden into a consoling hug, weeping for his loss.

"What is it?" Sen asked with tears in her eyes. She knew the sorrow she saw in Rayden. It was the grief over a lost family member.

"You're right, Fargo," Lucy murmured softly. "These are definitely graves; most like the graves of his family. There is writing on these stones, but I cannot read it. It seems that Izanami must have returned here to bury her family after the horrors of the village."

"Then that means that one of these graves must be Rayden's grave," Phillip speculated.

"And another must be Izanami's grave," Li Mei added. "But who buried her here since she was the only survivor of the attack?"

"I don't know," Kohta said. "But I'm sure we'll eventually find out."

Lucy knelt down in front of Rayden as Yuka consoled him. "Rayden," Lucy murmured, "Am I correct in thinking that this is where you and your family are buried?"

Having cried himself out, Rayden composed himself and nodded. "Yes, Lucy," he whimpered. "These two are my mother and father and this one…this one is me. It says so right here on these stones. This other one is my sister's grave. But I don't know how she got here. How could I have allowed this to have ever happened?"

"It was not your fault," Lucy stated. "If your parents and Izanami were here, and they are, they'd say the same thing. You must stop beating yourself up over this. Calidor had this planned from the beginning. You were just a pawn in his sick game. Mamoru and Yuki would not blame you for their deaths, and neither does Izanami. Moreover, I'm sure they forgive you. You know Izanami forgave you. She told you so herself."

While Lucy was speaking, Aiko saw something that made her doubt her sanity. She blinked as she looked over in the ruins of the house, seeing three ghostly forms that made her blood run cold. "Oh my god," she breathed. "GUYS…I think you should see this!" Aiko's urgent tone got everyone's attention as she pointed to the ruins. "Am I going crazy or are there three ghosts watching us?"

All eyes turned to the specters and both Lucy and Kohta knew who they were. Everyone except Lucy, Kohta, Yuka, Rayden, and Tora beat a hasty retreat, forming a perimeter twenty meters away from the ghosts. A smile crossed Lucy's face as she said, "Rayden…look; your parents and Izanami have answered you."

Rayden turned to the ghosts, seeing Izanami standing beside Mamoru and Yuki: his parents. His eyes grew wide as he looked at them with astonishment. Yuka felt her blood run cold at the sight of the apparitions, yet she refused to leave Rayden's side.

"This is going to be good," Kohta murmured with a smile. He took one step toward the ghosts and bowed to them. "Please forgive us for disturbing your rest. We mean you no harm, only to help your son redeem himself."

The ghosts bowed to Kohta formally and moved toward Rayden. Kohta stepped aside as they floated to within two meters of Rayden before stopping. The trio of ghosts bowed to Lucy before turning their gaze to Rayden. Rayden stared in fearful disbelief, wanting to bolt but finding that his limbs refused to move. "Mom, dad? Sis?" he questioned, glancing at Tora.

"Yes, Rayden Seiyuchin," Tora declared. "Your parent's spirits and your sister's spirit are still tied to this place. Now is the time to do what you came for. They thirst for freedom from this place, just as you do."

"Please forgive me," Rayden begged. "I dishonored both of you in my terrible thirst for revenge. Please forgive me for failing you."

Yuki smiled warmly. "Oh my precious bringer of thunder, we do not hold you accountable for our deaths, nor do we blame you for what you did. It was not your fault. The gods did this to us, not you, so we forgive you, my precious Rayden."

Mamoru smiled nobly at Rayden. "I am very proud of you, my son. You took an impossible situation and turned it into something good. You should not blame yourself for what unscrupulous men did under the influence of the dark gods. You were trapped by a dark god that took you in your rage over our murders. It was not your fault and we don't blame you for our fate. You made good on your vow. You avenged us and eventually destroyed the darkness that overpowered you with the help of your descendants that stand with you here. So don't blame yourself for what happened in the past. The gods have granted you a second chance to do the right thing. Accept it and forget your past deeds. I forgive you and don't hold it against you. You are my son; the father of a mighty race of demigods who have shaken the foundations of heaven and earth in your fight against the darkest darkness. I have never been so proud to have you as my son and to have Izanami as my daughter. Now you purge this last bit of darkness from your soul and bury it with us. By coming back, you have freed not just your mother and I, but yourself too. The balance is now restored. You can forgive yourself now for what happened."

"But I caused so much blood, death, and hate to so many people," Rayden objected. "How can I forgive myself for letting a demon possess me body and mind?"

"You forgive yourself by letting go of your past, my son," Yuki said. "By letting go of the anger and hate infused into you by the dark lord, you can let life and light fill you. Forgiveness is something you must will to do. It's something that is not given by others. It's something that you must will to accept. Only when you accept forgiveness of yourself will you be able to walk the path Izanami walked. She will always be there to help you, as will your father and I. Please, forgive yourself. You did nothing that is deserving of the condemnation you place on yourself. Let it go and be free. This precious angel beside you dragged your soul out of that darkness. Let her be your freedom."

"Mother is right," Izanami agreed. "I forgave you long ago. Now you must forgive yourself. Yuka is here to help you release the residues of Calidor's poison. Let her show you what life is really about."

Rayden abruptly looked at Yuka, seeing her pleading brown eyes that trembled with fear not of the ghosts, but for Rayden's well-being. "Please Rayden," Yuka begged. "You can't blame yourself for what happened. Let it go and bury it here so that you may live a new life with me."

The course suddenly became clear to Rayden. All fear and doubt vanished as he let go of his past. "I did all this to be with you, my precious angel," he murmured to Yuka. "Thank you for being with me when I needed you the most." Yuka smiled and hugged him as he looked back at his ghostly parents. "And Mom, Dad, Sis … thank you for forgiving me. You're right. It's time to bury the past. I shall never forget you and what you did for us. Please, be free of this place if you can."

"My son has become a fine, upstanding man," Mamoru crowed. "And he has finally learned the greatest lesson anyone can learn; one that we tried to instill in you as a child."

"And what lesson is that, dad?" Rayden asked.

"It's the lesson Izanami tried to remind you of the day the Dark Lord took you," Mamoru stated. "That love, light, and life always trumps hate, darkness and death. By fighting your way out of the darkness that took you, you have not only regained your honor, but you redeemed our memory and life. Thank you, my son. We are now free. Thank you and know that we have always loved you."

"Yes," Yuki agreed as she held on to Mamoru. "We shall always love you, Rayden. Now go and face your final demon: the place you fell. But when you face it, know that we're always with you; always."

"And I am closer to you than you know," Izanami said softly. "We are diclonius, Rayden, and I will always be with you in our Collective mind. Now go and live the life you were destined to live with our blessing; the one you truly deserve." With that, the ghostly forms of Mamoru, Yuki, and Izanami vanished in the falling snow.

Rayden broke into sobs of relief as he embraced Yuka. "I'm free!" he cried. "I feel as if a crushing burden is lifted from my scarred soul."

Yuka kissed him gently on the lips, surprising him. "I'm glad for you," she said.

"But it's not over yet," Tora reminded Rayden. "The sight of his downfall has yet to be visited."

"You're right," Rayden stated with much more composure. "Let's finish this. Lucy, Kohta, I wish this place be preserved and not lost to the ravages of time. My whole family rests here in these four graves. We need to keep it from being lost. This is my home."

"No problem," Lucy replied. "I decided to do that the moment I set foot in this place. This is your home and it will remain your home as long as the diclonius walk the earth."

"Thank you," Rayden answered gratefully as Yuka helped him stand up. Turning to the ghost cat, he added, "You may now lead us to my destiny, Tora. I am ready to face it now."

"Very well, son of Seiyuchin," Tora declared. "Follow me." With that, Tora led them away from Rayden's ancestral home down the mountain towards the village where he met his doom 1700 years before.

An hour and a half later, Tora led them to the edge of the village where Rayden and Izanami confronted their parent's killers. Nothing remained of the village except for a few stone foundation ruins scattered in the dense forest undergrowth. Rayden's face paled as he remembered the event in painstaking detail. When he hesitated to advance, Tora took a stern tone with him. "Go, Rayden, and face your fall," the ghost cat ordered.

"You don't have to face it alone," Yuka said devoutly. "I'm here."

"And so are we," Kohta agreed. "It's time to bury this fiend."

"Where did it happen?" Lucy asked as Tora melted back into the forest.

With a trembling hand, he pointed to their left. "Over here is where Izanami and I confronted those murderers," Rayden murmured, his tone betraying a deep-seated terror that still haunted him despite his letting go of his past.

"Show me where it happened," Yuka murmured, pulling him along. "We will face it together."

Rayden took the lead, letting Yuka's gentle tug give him the courage to move towards the cursed spot on the landscape and in his mind. Everyone else followed. After moving thirty meters, Rayden stopped in his tracks, looking around at the snowy forest. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cold and snow. His complexion went from pale to ashen.

"It was here that you fell, isn't it?" Lucy asked softly as she looked around at the snow-covered ruins just beyond them. Putting her hand on Rayden's shoulder, she said, "Release the darkness that infected you, Rayden. Destroy it as it destroyed you."

In a choked, sobbing voice, Rayden recounted the event. "It was here that found the truth of who killed my parents," he wept. "I killed the witch who had deceived the village with my vectors and wanted to punish the village chief who also was responsible. But when he killed himself rather than telling me who else was responsible…I snapped." Again dropping to his knees in the snow, Rayden released a tormented wail of blinding emotional pain. "You don't know what it's like to feel something take over your mind and body in an instant. Calidor used my rage and hate to overrun my mind in an instant. I never intended to kill everyone, just those who were responsible for Mom and Dad's murder. The demon took control and I watched helplessly as Calidor began to slaughter everyone in his path. You have no idea what it's like to not be able to stop senseless slaughter, especially knowing that it was being done by your own hand! May the gods forgive me for allowing such a demon to be born into this world. I slaughtered fifty people without remorse before my sister could stop me! My only intent was to wipe every living thing in the village off the face of the earth and then to destroy the earth itself for allowing such a travesty to happen to me. When my sister finally stopped my onslaught, I felt such anger that she used her power to stop me, but I also felt tremendous relief that she had stopped me from slaughtering the innocents of this village. I couldn't stop myself. Calidor had complete control and he laughed the whole time he used my body to slaughter these people, taunting me saying it was me who was doing this. Oh gods…what did I ever do in order to suffer such a despicable, hateful fate? I wished I had never been born that day." Rayden broke down, releasing the guilt of ages on the ground where he fell ages ago.

Yuka looked him in the eye with such compassion it startled him. Putting her hands on his cheeks, Yuka said with every ounce of her being, "Do you ever say that again, Rayden. That is a deadly wish that brings only heartache and sorrow. I should know. I had the same wish when I fell to that beast's evil just before Bandoh attacked and burned Kaeda House to the ground. If you were never born, then Lucy would have never been born and we would have never met in that heart of darkness. You did nothing to deserve that fate, and neither did I. We were pawns in some sick game played by these crazy gods, or whatever they are. But together, we beat them. I learned the same lesson you learned, Rayden. We must let go of this darkness and embrace the light if we expect to live and be happy together." She abruptly embraced Rayden tightly, acting by pure instinct. "Release this darkness that has poisoned your soul, Rayden. Release it or it will destroy us!"

Lucy gently touched Rayden on the head with her hand. "Yuka is right," Lucy murmured. "You must release the darkness that contaminated you as I did. Yuka is your salvation, just as Kohta is mine. Use her to free yourself of the residual contagion left by Calidor's evil."

Kohta set his hand on Rayden's shoulder. "You can do this, Rayden. We believe in you. I believe in you. You have been given a second chance that very few actually get. Please, allow the light of love and life burn the darkness from every corner of your being. Be free of Calidor's influence and of the Dragon Emperor's corrupt deal forever."

As he wept, Rayden felt the guilt of that terrible day flit away like smoke in the wind. Yuka felt him releasing the guilt and chimed, "That's it, my white knight. Let it all out. Bury it here in the frozen ground beneath us. We love you. I love you. Please be free of your past so we may live now and forever. Think of it as the rain, which eventually retreats to reveal the blue sky. The rain is your grief over your past and the blue sky is you having let go of that burden so that you may live in peace."

After five minutes of weeping, Rayden's sobs softened, and then ceased. He looked into Yuka's eyes with absolute love and dedication to her. "You have saved me once again, my precious angel. The rain of my past has moved on and now I can feel the blue sky of my future. You have helped me shed the burden of 1700 years of guilt, Yuka. I am yours forever."

Lucy looked into Rayden's face and eyes, seeing and sensing the final purging of the guilt over his past. His grief-ridden face now showed an exhausted peace she had never seen before. "How do you feel?" Lucy asked Rayden.

"I feel…free, my queen," Rayden replied wearily, but with great gratitude. "I am finally free of my nightmare! Thank you for bringing back here, and I'd like to thank that ghost cat who led us here. Where is he?"

Everyone looked around, not seeing the ghostly Tora anywhere. "He's gone," Sen called out. "I saw him vanish into the forest after he ordered you to face this place."

"I'm sure he's around and knows of your gratitude, Rayden," Fargo stated.

Mayu and Nana, who had watched Rayden's purge from a distance, came forward and latched on to him. "We love you Rayden," Mayu chimed affectionately. "Welcome to our family."

Rayden smiled softly, patting both Mayu and Nana on their heads as they let go of him. "Thank you, my precious sisters. It's good to have caring family once again."

"Can we go home now?" Aiko asked. "I'm really getting cold now and the snow is getting deeper."

"Yes, Aiko," Lucy answered with a smile. "We can go home now." With that, Lucy led them out of the village, heading back to the spa on the side of the small lake where they first started.

From high above them on the mountain, Tora and the Forest Spirit watched them leave. "Rayden has released Calidor's poison," the Forest Spirit stated. "Now he must walk the path of redemption and prove himself."

"Will he truly redeem his soul now that he treads that path?" Tora asked.

"Only Fate knows," the Forest Spirit replied. "But he has good souls surrounding him that will make the journey easier to take."

"I'm glad he made the right choice," Tora stated. "I'd hate to think what would happen had he chosen the darkness over the light."

"Me too," the Forest Spirit stated. "But all we can do now is watch as we have from the beginning of time. These mortals must find their own way in this new world."

"I understand, your majesty," Tora stated. "We shall watch. Do you expect Rayden to ever return here?"

"Possibly," the Forest Spirit answered. "He may return here to secure his home and heritage. We shall have to wait and see."

"So we shall," Tora said as Lucy led her team out of their physical sight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: In taking Rayden back to his ancestral home to face his past, Lucy and Kohta find more amazing and somewhat disturbing developments in the high mountains of Hokkaido. Evidence supporting the Dragon Emperor's declaration that humanity isn't the only intelligent species living on the earth comes to light. Tora the forest guardian and the elemental Forest Spirit reveal themselves for the first time since the end of the Dragon Wars at Rayden's and Izanami's old fishing hole to Lucy, Kohta and their family and friends. They provide guidance to Lucy, Kohta, and Rayden. Moreover, the Forest Spirit warns them of the treachery of the Dragon Emperor, providing Lucy with a way to confront the ancient dragon about his killing of millions of people with the dimensional shift of the Island of the Collective, which Lucy is supremely angry about. Despite the news of treachery on the part of the Dragon Emperor, Rayden returns to his home and to the village where he fell, ultimately shedding the guilt and residual darkness about his past with Yuka's help. But with the news of the Dragon Emperor's apparent double-cross, how will Lucy set the scales straight? Will she find the Dragon Emperor's rider Nariko and reunite him with the Dragon Emperor or will there be another battle that shakes the center of the universe? Moreover, where will Lucy and Kohta finally settle to find their peace, or will they be doomed to roam the earth for the rest of their lives fighting for their existence? Read on to find out in the conclusion of this epic tale.

As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest but kind when reviewing.

Beowulf Caverias


	43. Chapter 43 Penance of the Dragon Emperor

Chapter 43

Penance of the Dragon Emperor

Two days after visiting Rayden's ancestral home on Hokkaido, Lucy and Kohta sat in Fargo's ready room with Tao and Li Mei looking at disturbing satellite images of a small valley in Tibet. Ron operated the computers as Fargo watched with great dismay. It showed smoldering ruins of a small settlement with dead humans and diclonius lying scattered across the village. Dozens of dead soldiers lay with them amongst the burning wrecks of tanks and helicopter gunships. "How many people lived in your sanctuary, Tao?" Lucy asked grimly.

"Two hundred," Tao murmured; grief and anger evident in his tone. "It seems a heavily armed tactical team penetrated our valley and slaughtered everyone they could find. I can't understand why they did such a thing. The Chinese government promised that our people would be taken care of."

"This may be what they truly meant," Kohta growled. "You had set up a sanctuary far from the eye of the Chinese government, who insists on controlling every aspect of life in China. They saw your sanctuary as a direct threat to the control of the Chinese people because you and your people lived successfully outside of their control apparatus. It is something they could not tolerate. It's also the same reasoning that caused the brutal exploitation of our diclonius brothers and sisters. Those are definitely Chinese tanks and helicopters we see wrecked here. Did anyone escape this bloodbath?"

"Yes," Li Mei whimpered, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Only thirty escaped this massacre: eighteen diclonius and twelve of our human friends. I still can't figure out why the government turned on us after promising that we would be left alone."

"It doesn't make any difference why," Lucy answered coldly, anger dripping in her tone. "It only shows that we still cannot trust the present human governments. This is a direct violation of our agreement with the Chinese government. Someone will pay for this atrocity. I promise."

"But may I ask what are we going to do about the survivors?" Fargo asked. "Will we go after them?"

"We must," Tao insisted. "We knew something like this would eventually happen, so we built a backup shelter high in the mountains. But they haven't enough supplies to allow them to hold out indefinitely. We must go and get our people out of there."

"But how will we do that?" Kohta asked. "I'm all for getting your people out of there. The question is one of logistics. How do we get in and out without being noticed? It's over 1500 kilometers from your safe haven to the coast across hostile territory and another 2,000 kilometers of ocean to where we are now. That's a formidable obstacle in anyone's book."

Fargo grinned knowingly. "You leave that to me, Master Kohta. There are some things about this ship you have yet to discover. Having an unlimited supply of money and technology through back channels allowed SHIVA to create this cutting-edge warship and everything on it. It just so happens that this ship came equipped with a fleet of seven long-range jet aircraft with cloaking technology and heavy shields that can reach them from our present position. We also have six helicopter gunships and three heavy transport helicopters there as well. We just need to get the long-range aircraft ready for launch if that is what you want."

"You've been holding out on us, Captain," Kohta chimed after getting over the shock of the announcement. "Where have you been hiding these planes?"

"In the starboard hangar near the stern of the ship," Fargo answered. "It's an area of the ship you never bothered exploring for some strange reason. These planes are supersonic and can lift off vertically from our stern launching pad. Once in the air, they can reach your people in Tibet and bring them back in ten hours. All we need is for you to give the order, Lucy."

"The order is given, Captain," Lucy declared. "Go get them. I'll not leave our people to die hiding in a cave somewhere like an animal. Those days are over. We are no longer going to hide in dens and caves and be treated as rabid beasts by hateful humans. We have earned our place in the world and I'll be damned if I'm going to give it up to anyone. Tao, Li Mei…you go with them so the pilots know where to go and to show your people we are friends. And whatever you do, don't let yourself be seen or get shot down. Sneak in and sneak out. Got it?"

"Thank you, milady," Tao replied happily. "We will not fail."

"Come with me, Tao, Li Mei," Fargo ordered. "We can have you airborne within the hour." The two royals followed Fargo out of the ready room.

When they left, Ron asked, "Is there anything else you need, Lucy?"

"Bring Saito and the Emperor in here," Lucy ordered. "I need to speak to them about an important proposition. Then I want you to scan Hokkaido and see who is still there, if anyone."

"Sure, Lucy," Ron stated. He called for Saito and Watanabe through the intercom and then scanned Hokkaido. An image of Hokkaido came up on the viewers and through the magic of satellite technology and remote sensing with visual and infrared scanners, clusters of blips began to pop up on the screen. After a few minutes of scanning, Ron said, "Looks like the island is almost totally deserted, Lucy. I'm seeing a grand total of 160 people on the entire island, and most of them are concentrated just south of Sapporo close to Tomakomai and Muroran. There's a second, much smaller group in the mountains above Asahikawa just west of where you went two days ago."

"How many are in south of Sapporo and are they diclonius or human?" Lucy asked.

There are approximately 110 people in that area and the majority of them are human," Ron stated. "Though I am seeing a small diclonius signature in that area, possibly as many as 15 of our people there. But it's difficult to really lock in on them or the humans because of the nuclear interference from the south."

"What about Asahikawa?" Kohta asked. "Whose there? I'm sensing about thirty of our people in that area."

"Good estimate," Master Kohta," Ron congratulated. "There are indeed thirty of our people in that area along with twenty humans. They are up in the hills around Asahikawa. They seem to be staying close to Asahikawa, but not in it, which isn't surprising. That city was burned in the war using conventional weapons."

"Would you say that about all of Hokkaido?" Lucy asked.

"Yes ma'am," Ron replied. "It seems that the nuclear and chemical aspects of the war didn't get past Sendai. Other than damage from conventional weapons, Hokkaido seems to have weathered this calamity intact. Only the major population centers are rubble. The smaller towns and villages seem to have escaped the brunt of the madness and destruction."

A soft smile crossed Lucy's lips. "I'm glad. Since I saw Rayden's home, my instincts are screaming that this is where we need to settle. Our ancient homeland calls to me and it shall once again be our home; that is if the Emperor is willing to bargain with us for it."

"Ah," Ron chimed. "That's why you asked for Saito and the Emperor. They're all that's left of the legitimate Japanese government."

"Right," Lucy stated as Saito and Emperor Watanabe entered the ready room.

"You wish to speak to us, milady?" Saito asked with a bow.

When Watanabe started to bow, Lucy held up her hand. "Emperor…there's no need for you to bow to me. We are both leaders here. I've asked you here for a very important reason."

"You want Hokkaido for your home," Watanabe surmised. "Am I correct, your majesty? I figured you might be interested in it after what I saw when we went ashore there."

Lucy chuckled and gestured to a nearby seat. "Please, have a seat, my friends."

"Is this true?" Saito asked after he and Watanabe sat down across the table from Lucy and Kohta.

"Yes," Lucy answered. "The Emperor has a gift of insight. This is exactly what I am proposing. Emperor…Hokkaido is pretty much all that's left of your country that isn't a radioactive wasteland and I wouldn't dream of taking it from you or your people. That would make me no better than those shits who launched that sneak attack on Tao and Li Mei's sanctuary in Tibet."

"Milady," Watanabe stated. "I am honored that you believe that I still have a say in ruling Japan. But that is far from the case now. The Emperors of Japan lost their ability to rule at the end of World War II. I am just a figurehead that is only for show. I have no real power to make decisions that would affect the Japanese people. The people have not honored this position for sixty years."

Kohta looked Watanabe in the eye. "Your majesty," Kohta stated. "You fail to comprehend what has happened. Every shred of the government that ruled Japan and used your position as a figurehead has been obliterated. You are the sole survivor of the Japanese Government, so your figurehead status has been upgraded back to where your honor demands it. You are now truly the Emperor of Japan. Our scans of the country show there are pockets of survivors not just on Hokkaido, but on the mainland too. You have a people and they need you to lead them. This is why we asked you here. You are the representative of the Japanese people and we seek to not just reclaim our homeland in Hokkaido, but to help you and the Japanese people reclaim and rebuild yours after this cataclysm."

"Master Kohta is right, your highness," Saito declared. "You are the only living piece left of your government. It's time for you reclaim the honor of your position and once again become the true Emperor of Japan."

Watanabe looked at Lucy, Kohta, and then at Saito. He glanced at the floor with a sigh, knowing what needed to be done. "After all these years, the wheel of fortune has finally turned against those who cast me aside as a relic of the past. It has been my one and only wish to see Japan prosper and every man, woman, child, and now, even every diclonius be free of the corrupt system the Americans imposed on us at the end of the Second World War. Now my dream and wish are about to come true." He looked Lucy dead in the eye. "Lucy, Queen of all diclonius, you have restored my honor, and I only pray I can honor you in our deliberations. You have saved not just my life, but the lives of my people, even the people of the world, though they do not seem to understand the depths of evil that almost engulfed them. If it were up to me alone, I would gladly let you have Hokkaido as your homeland. But it isn't. Every citizen of Japan that is left has to agree to this. What are your intentions for Hokkaido, milady?"

"I only want to settle in peace on the land of our ancestors. Both our ancestors walked these lands and I don't see why we can't do that now," Lucy stated. "I want Hokkaido to be my sanctuary where any diclonius may come and live in peace. That offer goes for any human who wishes to live in peace with us as well. As you have seen on the Chimera, humans and diclonius can live together peacefully, especially now that we've destroyed the source of our madness. Peace is within the grasp for both our peoples, Emperor. I know a great number of humans fled Hokkaido in the wake of Calidor's insanity being unleashed, leaving behind everything they owned. I will not take that from them. They are welcome to return and regain their homes if they so choose, just as long as they want to live in peace with us. It is not my intention to take over your country, Emperor. Far from it; politics is a game I have no intention of playing. That game of lies and deceit is what led to the apocalypse that nearly destroyed us as a species. I'm not walking that road, ever; nor am I going to allow my people to become entangled in that shit. It's just not worth it. What we will do is help you rebuild your country and we will protect it and you as our allies. It's time we started rebuilding the world and the best place to start that is right here with us."

"You honor us with your gracious offer, milady," Watanabe stated. "And I agree with you fully that the old system of politics must be scrapped. That old system is what caused the mistreatment of your people and ultimately led to this nuclear-laced calamity that destroyed Japan and nearly destroyed the world. It's an offer where we have everything to gain and nothing to lose. But it seems a little too good of an offer. What's the catch, milady, if you don't mind me asking?"

A wry smile crossed Lucy's lips. "I knew your suspicious nature would eventually come out, Emperor," she crowed. When his face fell with concern, she added, "But don't worry about it. I expected that you would suspect that there's a catch to the offer." She stared into his eyes, looking down into the very depths of his soul. "The catch is this," Lucy declared. "Hokkaido is my ancestral home, as you saw two days ago when we visited Rayden's home high in the mountains at the center of the island. I intend to make it my home, particularly in the area of that national park where Rayden and Izanami were born. You saw the sacred heart of the forest in that hollow. I want that entire park as my personal domain so that I may protect it. I will allow the tourist to continue to use it, if they behave themselves and treat us and the sacred land with respect. Moreover, I ask that you allow my people to settle anywhere on the island north Ebetsu. In doing this, we will be joint rulers of Hokkaido. You can handle the human side of things while I deal with the diclonius side. But you will remain Emperor of all Japan. In exchange for this concession, we will help you and your people rebuild and prosper the way you always wanted. Let's face it, your highness, there are only 160 people left in Hokkaido anyway, and a third of them are diclonius. Most of those diclonius are already gathering outside of Asahikawa. Please, just think about it for a moment. We are offering you a chance to rebuild your country and, in a way, for my people to atone in a small part for our part in what happened. What we're asking for is minor in comparison to what you will gain."

"Ah," Watanabe crowed. "The crux of the matter finally comes out. Before I answer, maybe you can answer this question for me: What if people who own property in the area you want for your people want to come back? Will you let them?"

"Yes," Lucy declared, "but only if they truly want to come back and want to live in peace with us. If they don't want to return because we are there, then that is their prerogative; but they will be compensated for their property. If they have some special possessions they want to take with them, we won't interfere with their retrieval of those possessions. All I want is for us to live in peace with our human neighbors and to have a little place where my family can live in peace. I can't see a better place than the park where our race began. What do you say, Emperor? Am I being fair or not?"

Watanabe sighed deeply. "To be honest with you, your majesty," he replied. "You have the power to take what you want from us if you wish."

"That's true," Lucy stated. "But it wouldn't make it right."

"So true," Watanabe stated. "Yet because of your desire to legitimately bargain with me for these desires you have and not force this settlement on us, you have shown great restraint and goodness of character that many people claimed you and your kind don't have. Your offer of co-leadership of Hokkaido is a most gracious one; one that I am inclined to accept. Would you have any objections if our capital were moved to Sapporo?"

"Not in the least," Lucy replied. "That's why I suggested that my people be allowed to settle north of Ebetsu. That way you could have your capital in Sapporo and not have it surrounded by my domain. The humans of these islands need a place to start their rebuilding and Sapporo is a perfect place to do that. From there, the rebuilding can expand to the mainland and, if time and luck favors our venture, Japan itself may be eventually healed of this destruction."

"That's very generous, milady," Watanabe stated. "But I see one thing that will change right away."

"What is that?" Kohta asked.

"Our civilization has been rooted in western ideologies and corruption since before World War II," Watanabe stated. "We have forgotten our connection with the earth our ancestors had in our greed and avarice. Now we have paid for our sins compounded in blood. When I saw the elemental Forest Spirit at that pool, I became acutely aware of how far we have strayed from a society based on earth. The society you wish to build, milady, is just that: a society built on peace with our fellow man and the earth. We are about to embark on the greatest experiment ever. Japan will be reborn like the phoenix from the ashes not as a western-style society filled with greed, hate, and avarice, but a civilization of earth where everyone prospers because they can live in peace with themselves, their neighbors, and the earth itself. If we start acting like we should, our elemental friends up there in the mountains may decide that we are worthy of their attention and teach us a better way to live."

"Sounds like you had an epiphany up there, Emperor," Lucy replied with a smile.

"I guess I did," Watanabe stated. "As you said, milady, we need to start somewhere. And as you stated, Master Kohta, I am all that's left of our original governmental structure. Fate kept me alive through all this so that I may rebuild Japan not the way the West wants or even the way you want, but the way it should have been done to begin with." Watanabe abruptly rose from his seat and walked around the table until he stood in front of Lucy and Kohta. Formally bowing to them, he said "You saved my life and restored my honor, milord and lady. You propose peace with us with modest concessions on our part coupled with the promise to help us rebuild and rediscover our true heritage. As the Emperor of Japan, I accept your offer with the condition that I am allowed to confirm it with my people first. If they agree to the terms, we shall start a new era together where the diclonius and humans of these islands live in peace and mutual protection. I shall do everything within my power to convince my people to accept this treaty with you and Master Kohta. Furthermore, you shall have the Daisetsuzan National Park as your home. This I swear by my honor and by the gods of my forefathers. You have earned it and more. Is there anything else you desire of us, milady?"

"Just one," Lucy answered. "I want our deal with you to be kept as low profile as possible. I do not want any potential enemies to realize we have settled in one place. It may make too great a temptation for them. I want this deal to be between us and the Japanese people alone. No one else is to know you have granted us safe haven in Hokkaido."

"Ah, I understand," Watanabe said softly. "You want the rest of the human world to believe that you are still at large, roaming the planet in search of justice against those who persecuted your kind."

"I couldn't have put it better myself," Kohta chimed. "The key to our peace is to be as inconspicuous as possible. The highlands of Hokkaido are extremely rugged and remote; a perfect place for us to disappear."

"You do realize that you won't be able to keep it a secret forever," Saito commented. "Someone from the outside will find out that you are there."

"They may," Lucy agreed. "But what if we concocted a story that keeps them away from my little corner of Hokkaido near the sacred grove and Rayden's home?"

"You mean say something like a lethal bioweapon was accidentally released there that would kill any human within minutes of contact; a contagion that is immune to all known antidotes and even survives fire?" Saito suggested.

"That's good," Lucy stated. "I like it. In a way, it isn't lying about it too because Kohta and I are the world's most dangerous bioweapons anyway. We want just to be left alone by these shits in power. If they continue to piss us off by doing shit like they just did in Tibet to Tao's people, then they will rue the day they did it."

"I hear you, sister," Saito chimed. "I think we could probably come up with some propaganda tale that will prevent all but the most violent and determined people from intruding on your peace."

"Do you want this zone to include the whole area you suggested for diclonius settlement?" Watanabe asked.

"No," Lucy declared, "just the highlands of the park areas, particularly where we went. The grove and Rayden's home are mine and I will fight to protect them. The areas where the spas are do not fall under this declaration."

"I understand and have no problem with that," Watanabe answered. "I will relay this to my people. They should not have any trouble with these stipulations. Furthermore, we will keep our agreement secret from the rest of the world. You will inform your people of these stipulations?"

"Yes," Lucy replied. "Our family has suffered enough from the evil of this world. Just as those spas are a retreat for humans, this will be our retreat; a place only diclonius and humans whom we trust explicitly will be allowed to come."

"Very well, milady," Watanabe stated, "your demands are not unreasonable and given the approval of my people, I do accept this agreement on their behalf. Do we have an accord?" Watanabe held out his hand to Lucy.

Lucy reached out and shook it firmly, looking him in the eye. "Yes, Emperor Watanabe," she declared. "We have an accord. Go and spread the word to your people about our deal. I will inform my people."

"Thank you milady," Watanabe stated, "Now if you will excuse me, Saito and I have much work to do in finding our scattered people and delivering your message."

Lucy nodded with a wry smile. "Go right ahead. Ron can help you with that, I'm sure."

Ron smiled at the Emperor and Saito. "Come with me, gentlemen," he said, leading Saito and Watanabe out of the room.

Lucy looked at Kohta with a somewhat drained, sour expression on her face. He reached out and held her hand. "Nice touch having Watanabe keep all this under wraps from the rest of the world. It shows you have come a long way, Lucy," Kohta stated. "But you look tired."

"I am," Lucy stated. "Even though I've become fond of that old man since we first met, he's still a leader in the human world and must be watched. I tried to make the deal as palatable as possible. I don't want to rule over all Japan, nor do I really want to rule over Hokkaido. I just want a place where we can live in peace. That's why I insisted on the secrecy of this deal. After what the Chinese did to Tao's people, we cannot be too careful." Her complexion paled as a wave of nausea swept over her. "Dealing with these politicians is making me ill. I feel right down sick."

"Let's go to see Dr. Ravenclaw," Kohta suggested as he stood up. "Maybe he has something for that upset stomach." Lucy nodded as Kohta helped her to her feet.

"It'll have to wait, Kohta," Lucy replied coolly as the nausea subsided slightly. "There's one more thing we need to do and it must be done now or it'll haunt me forever."

"You mean to confront the Dragon Emperor, don't you?" Kohta surmised, feeling her rage directed at the ancient dragon. "Are you sure that's wise?"

"It must be done," Lucy snapped. "He has to pay for killing all those people and I mean to do it. Now are you with me?"

Kohta smiled soberly. "After all that's happened, you need to ask that?"

She caressed his cheek with her hand. "Good," Lucy said coldly. "Let's go to our quarters and do this. Then we'll deal with the traitorous Chinese for their violation of our agreement."

"Careful, Lucy," Kohta warned in a soft tone. "Don't let your anger run out of control. You now have the power to destroy the world, not just save it."

Seeing Kohta's point, Lucy sighed. "Okay, Kohta, but I need this anger to confront the Dragon Emperor. He's not just any creature, you know. I must have all my weapons at ready if things go sour."

"I see your point," Kohta murmured as they left the ready room, heading for their quarters. "But I think we must step back and think about this first. What can we do that will make him more repentant?" Kohta rubbed his jaw as they walked the corridor. "The Forest Spirit said something about reuniting the Dragon Emperor with his rider, Nariko. Maybe that is our ace in the hole. We find Nariko in the Collective and let him reunite with his old friend. Maybe he could talk some sense in the Dragon Emperor."

Lucy smiled broadly. "You sound so much like Akira it's eerie. I think that's a good way to do it." She latched on to Kohta's arm and added "If we can get the Dragon Emperor to do some penance for the action with this Nariko's help, it may take the fire out of my anger. I really don't want to fight him. I so fucking tired of fighting. I just want to be left alone."

"I hear you," Kohta replied. "But there are just a few more things to do and this is one of them. I personally think you probably could have waited to do this, but I've come to realize that when you decide to do something, it's damned near impossible to talk you out of it."

Lucy slapped him playfully on the back of his head with her vector as they turned down another corridor. "Kohta…that isn't very nice."

"But it is the truth," Kohta returned. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Lucy smiled at the comment, knowing that Kohta really accepted her in all ways. "Thank you, Kohta."

"You're welcome," Kohta stated calmly as they entered their quarters, closing the door behind them.

On the stern landing platform, a large aircraft with a shape similar to the SR-71 sat on the deck with its engines warming up. Inside the aircraft, Tao and Li Mei sat strapped into two seats immediately behind the pilot and co-pilot. Banks of electronics lined the walls with their lights twinkling and flashing. Behind Tao and Li Mei were two more lines of seats inside the open fuselage of the plane going back fifteen more meters. Captain Guildo, Dr. Quang Li, Duncan, and Kagami sat behind Tao and Li Mei. "This plane is amazing," Kagami commented as the engines began to roar. "You wouldn't think it would have this much space inside it looking at it from the outside."

"Do you think it can safely carry everyone back to the Chimera?" Li Mei asked.

"Absolutely," Guildo stated. "We had a similar type of aircraft on the Kraken and it can hold up to seventy people, so space is not a problem."

"Engines are at 100%," the co-pilot stated, "…and thrusters are on standby. We're ready to take off."

"Chimera, this is Angel 1," the pilot spoke into his headset. "Everything is five by five; Awaiting course vectors and clearance for takeoff."

"Angel 1," Fargo's voice came back through the radio. "You are cleared for takeoff. Your course vector is 283 mark 56, south by southwest. Bring our people back, Angel."

"Aye Chimera," the pilot answered, "283 mark 56, south by southwest; Angel is lifting off." The engines roared and the plane lifted into the sky. Once fifty meters off the Chimera's landing platform, the pilot said, "Angel is away. Wish us luck."

"Good luck," Fargo said through the radio.

The pilot pushed forward on the controls and the aircraft began moving forward, gaining speed. Once the plane passed the half a kilometer mark from the Chimera, the pilot opened the throttle all the way, and the plane streaked southwest toward China going supersonic within five minutes of takeoff. Putting the plane on auto-pilot, the pilot turned around and faced his passengers. "We should be at your sanctuary within five hours, Tao," he declared. "So just sit back and enjoy the ride."

Minutes after Angel 1 lifted off on its rescue mission, Kohta and Lucy sat on their bed with Kohta holding Lucy as they readied themselves for their own mission into the Collective. "Are you sure you want to do this now, Lucy?" Kohta asked soberly. "It won't hurt to let it wait until you're feeling a little better."

Lucy shook her head. "No Kohta," she answered coldly. "Now is the time for this. The Dragon Emperor must know that he cannot do what he did again. I know he could have phased the Island without causing such a disruption of our dimension. He did that out of spite and I'm not going to have him doing that again."

"Okay, just asking," Kohta murmured. "Just keep a level head while dealing with him. That's all I ask."

"Deal," Lucy replied, shaking his hand. "Now let's do this. I already have Izanami, Ai, and Yuan Zhi looking for this Nariko."

"Good call," Kohta declared. "That'll help to save us some time."

Lucy nodded and in the blink of an eye, their quarters vanished as they found themselves standing in a beautiful mountain meadow that opened into a stunning view of an alpine valley. Pines and firs lined the mountain slopes around them while a shimmering aperture seven feet across stood behind them. A feeling of peace filled their hearts as they scanned the scene. "I almost forgot how good a job we did reconstructing this place," Kohta murmured. "This place is so peaceful and serene. I feel so at home."

"And that is the way it should feel, Master Kohta," Izanami called out as she walked out of the forest to meet them. "This Collective is so much better than the one I made. The souls who reside here are truly at peace now."

Lucy embraced Izanami warmly. "I'm glad we could make a good place for our people, Izanami. It does my heart good to see the peace of this place, even though I know we can only stay here after we die."

"I'm delighted to hear you say that," Izanami stated. "But I assume that is not the reason for your visit. You're here on business, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Lucy replied. "I have unfinished business with the Dragon Emperor. His actions moving the Island out of our dimension killed tens of millions of innocent people. He has to answer for it."

"I see," Izanami stated. "You're very upset by this, aren't you?"

"Upset is not the word I'd use," Lucy hissed. "I'm almost in a rage about this. He was supposed to be our friend and he does this! Someone has to set the score straight and I plan on doing it myself."

"Be careful, Lucy," Izanami warned. "Don't let the anger and wrath in your heart over this incident poison you the way it did Rayden."

"That's what I told her," Kohta said calmly. "She mustn't let her rage rule, at least not until there is no other option. Did you have any success in finding this Nariko?"

"Ai and Yuan are searching for him as I speak," Izanami replied. "Why do you want him? He is an ancient soul, even in these realms."

"Kohta seems to think that we could use his help in dealing with the Dragon Emperor," Lucy stated. "I'm not so sure about it, but I'm willing to give it a shot. One way or another, the Dragon Emperor must answer for this atrocity and make amends somehow."

"And what would you suggest he do?" Izanami asked. "He is an alpha Dragon Lord and the last of his kind. He does not make habits of apologizing or making amends for his actions."

"He will this time," Lucy snapped. "Or he will regret it. He fears our power. That's why he moved the Island out of our dimension. He knows that we can destroy him if we want."

"But is that what you really want?" Izanami asked.

Lucy sighed deeply. "No, Izanami; that's not what I want. I just want him to realize that there are repercussions for his actions. He can't just go around making dimensional contacts with our world or any other and kill people just because of some ancient grudge. The world has changed a lot since the Dragon Age. He has to understand that."

"And how do you suggest we contact him?" Izanami asked bluntly. "There is no way to reach him from here that I know of."

"You forgot that when Kohta and I rebuilt this place, we did it in the Nexus," Lucy declared. "The Forest Spirit said that when we did that, we created a permanent connection to the Nexus. That's how we find him. We find that gate."

Izanami's mouth fell open with wonder. "You saw the Forest Spirit? When, Where?"

"We literally took Rayden home to Hokkaido a couple days ago so he could find closure," Kohta stated. "While we were looking for your home, we found the sacred grove where you and he fished all those years ago. It is there we saw the Forest Spirit and the forest guardian, Tora. Lucy intends to make that whole area her new home so she can protect it."

"Impressive," Yuan called out as he and Ai walked out of the forest with an elderly diclonius male with long snow white hair following close behind. "The Forest Spirit hasn't been seen in a physical form since my time."

"Yuan, Ai," Izanami said pleasantly as they approached with the elderly diclonius. "I'm glad you could finally join us. Were you successful in finding Nariko?"

"Yes," Ai declared as they stopped in front of Lucy and Kohta. "My lord and lady, may I present Baldur Lung Nariko…Ryu-Wo-Chin's rider and soul mate."

Lucy and Kohta looked at the ancient soul with wonder because he looked like Akira's twin brother, only much older. Kohta reached out his hand and said, "It's amazing. You look just like Akira. Were you really the Dragon Emperor's rider and best friend?"

Baldur grasped Kohta's hand and shook it firmly while staring deep into his eyes. "Yes, my young friend. I was indeed Ryu's rider and friend until the day Fate cast me through Death's gate. You're a strong one, milord; a fit match for our Queen even though you didn't start off as one of us. We thank you for helping the Queen rid us of the Dark Lord's evil influences and poisons. Now, what can this old soul do for someone so young?"

"You can tell us what you know of your friend, Ryu-Wo-Chin," Lucy stated. "First off, was he always a vindictive soul who relished in the destruction of innocent humans?"

Shock crossed Baldur's face. "Why would you say such a thing? Ryu was always very kind-hearted and loving of the human race. He always fought to protect them."

"Is that so?" Kohta asked. "Then you do not know what has happened."

"How could I know, milord?" Baldur stated. "I lost complete contact with Ryu 5,000 years ago when I was killed in a traitorous betrayal that cost me my life."

"Did you know that your friend is the guardian of the Nexus of all Realities?" Lucy asked.

"No, milady; I didn't know that," Baldur answered in a shocked tone. "I knew of the Nexus, but at the time of my demise, Ryu wasn't the guardian of that sacred space."

"Hmmm, interesting," Kohta murmured, rubbing his chin as he pondered Baldur's testimony. "Well, since you seem to be out of the loop right now, let's fill you in. Your friend Ryu apparently became the guardian of the Nexus at the end of the Dragon Wars. But to make a long story short, we just became aware of the Nexus recently when we fought and destroyed Calidor, sending him back into his own dimension. After we did that and restored the Collective here, we left the sacred Island. When we were clear of the dimensional rift around the island, your friend, the Dragon Emperor, violently phased the Island into another dimension, which resulted caused a massive wave that killed over twenty million people around the world. Later we returned to Rayden's home, we found the heart of Hokkaido's forest and the Forest Spirit, who said that the Dragon Emperor didn't need to shift the island, but did it out of spite because of how humanity turned against the dragons and other creatures that helped to stop the Chaos Lords back in his time. It appears he caused that wave to punish the humans of the world for something that happened back before our recent history began."

Horror added to the shock on Baldur's face. "He did that? I can't believe he'd do such a thing. He loved humanity more than his life."

"He did just that," Lucy said coldly. "It's an act that cannot go unanswered. The Forest Spirit said that he held a grudge against the humans for turning against everyone who helped to repel the Chaos Lord's invasion of this world. I intend to confront your friend about his callous disregard for human life, especially after we went to all the trouble to get rid of that fuck, Calidor. I thought I was done with this shit when we beat that monster, and then the Dragon Emperor goes and kills tens of millions of innocent people because of a grudge that is over five thousand years old. He has to pay for it in some manner. I don't want to destroy him, but he has to answer for killing all those people in some form."

"It's so hard to believe that Ryu could do that," Baldur murmured. "I hope he hasn't become contaminated with the darkness we sought to defeat."

"I don't think he is," Kohta declared. "Otherwise, he would have not helped us the way he did. We would have never been able to do what we did without him. But he is a dragon, not a human like we are so we cannot expect him to reason like us. I get the sense that his grief over the loss of you as a friend and the humans turning on him and his kind finally boiled over after the battle with Calidor. He saw an opportunity to avenge his kind and you and took it. Now we are here to set the scale back into balance, which he was supposed to keep in balance as guardian of the Nexus."

"The Forest Spirit said you were the key to his redemption," Lucy stated. "He suggested that if he and you were reunited, that he may repent of his evil. It's not my intention to destroy him, but to make damned sure he doesn't do this type of thing again. Since what happened to you seems to be at the center of his actions, maybe you could tell us what happened?"

"I'll do better than that," Baldur replied. "I'll show you, my Queen. Connect with me so that I may show you the sordid event."

"Very well," Lucy stated. "Kohta will connect with you as well. He is the calming yin to my raging yang."

Baldur nodded and both Lucy and Kohta connected to the ancient soul with their vectors. Horror crossed Kohta's face as he saw the depths of treachery he never knew could exist; an intimate friend who turned against Baldur and Ryu, killing Baldur in front of his dragon friend. Lucy's face went stony as she saw something all too familiar. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists in a controlled rage. "The bastards!" she hissed after disconnecting from Baldur. "No wonder the Dragon Emperor hates the humans. They killed his only true friend and hunted his kind to near extinction. But that's still no reason for doing what he did."

"I agree," Kohta stated. "Now we have some idea of the back story here. The question that lies before us now is this. Will you, Baldur, come with us and help us chastise your friend for his actions?"

"You mean you want me to come with you so you can punish him?" Baldur asked hesitantly.

"It's not what you think," Lucy said softly, her rage having slowed to a simmer. "We want you to come with us so we can reunite you two…two friends separated by darkness, betrayal, and death for thousands of years. Kohta and I have the power to let you stay with Ryu if that's what you want. But he must be made accountable for his actions. If I don't do it, some other being will, probably one from that damnable Eternal Council who may not be as lenient as me will. What do you say, my old friend?"

"Oh the thought to see my old friend's face again sends shivers down my spine," Baldur stated. "But more than that, I have to know if what you say is true. I will come with you on the condition that you let me confront him. I just have to know if he did this horrendous thing you accuse him of. If he really did do it, then I will reside by your judgment, my Queen."

"You have my promise on that," Lucy declared. "I see him as a friend who screwed up, but deserves a second chance. Of everything that Kohta has taught me, that is the one lesson that I firmly believe in now. I was even willing to spare Calidor, but he refused our mercy so he now festers in his black dimension, hopefully forever. I hope your friend is not that way."

"Thank you," Baldur replied with a bow. "You have shown that you are the greatest Queen who has lived since Ai. I am at your service, milady."

Lucy smiled and patted Baldur on the shoulder. "You're a good man, Baldur. It's rare to see a good man anymore. But now we must prepare to do what must be done, even if it means destroying the last dragon in existence. We cannot have a loose cannon like that in control of the Nexus. That could be disastrous for everyone."

"I understand, milady," Baldur said evenly. "We can't just think of ourselves in this because Ryu is guardian of the Nexus."

"Right," Kohta agreed. "Though I sincerely hope his rash act was an isolated incident and not a true turn to darkness."

"We shall soon find out," Lucy declared. "Are you ready, Baldur?"

"Yes, milady," Baldur replied. "I am here to help in any way I can."

"One question," Izanami asked. "Where is the gate? I'm still exploring this new Collective and haven't seen anything like a gate anywhere."

"Oh, Izanami," Ai chided, "Surely our queen knows where she put the gate. After all, she and Master Kohta rebuilt it from the bottom up with our help."

Izanami looked to Lucy as Lucy turned and pointed to the shimmering aperture behind her. "If I'm not mistaken, that is our entry to the Nexus," Lucy stated. "When Kohta and I entered the Collective, I homed in on it by instinct because that is where I wanted to go."

"Silly me," Izanami replied, chuckling. "I never noticed the gate there. What do you want me to do?"

"There's nothing you can do," Lucy answered. "Only Kohta and I can pass through the gate because we're still alive. And we can only pull one soul through into the Nexus and Baldur is that soul. Besides, I don't want to go in there with a large group because Ryu may construe that as an attack. We're going there only to confront him about his actions and to reunite him with Baldur in the process. Maybe Baldur can talk some sense into him and possibly be to Ryu what Kohta is for me. My hope is that he's already sorry about what he did and will agree to some form of penance."

"Very well," Izanami stated. "We shall wait here for your return. I pray to the gods that you are successful."

"The gods have nothing to do with this," Lucy snapped. "This is between me and the dragon and no one else."

"I meant to just wish you luck," Izanami said apologetically.

"That I will take," Lucy said with a wry smile. "Come on, Baldur…let's go." Lucy walked to the edge of the aperture as Kohta and Baldur flanked her on each side. She took each of their hands and called out "Ryu-Wo Chin, Dragon Emperor of the Nexus, where are you?"

A rumble echoed from the portal, followed by the Dragon Emperor's voice. "Who summons the guardian of the Nexus?"

"You know damned well who it is, dragon," Lucy shouted, "We have urgent business to discuss."

"Business or is it revenge, Queen of the Dragons of Heaven and Earth?" the Dragon Emperor retorted as his huge head became visible on the other side of the portal. "I can sense great anger in you."

"Then you should know why I'm angry!" Lucy roared, drawing strength from Kohta through their touch to keep her rage from going nuclear. "We wish to enter the Nexus to deal with this problem."

Baldur's mouth fell open as he saw the Dragon Emperor for the first time in five thousand years. "By the gods and Dragons of Heaven and Earth, is that you Ryu?"

The Dragon Emperor turned his eye to Baldur and shock covered his face. A contrite look came across it as he asked, "How can this be; Baldur?"

"Please Ryu," Baldur begged. "We didn't come here to fight you. But the Queen has brought it to my attention that you may have done something very evil that cost tens of millions of people their lives. Please, tell me you didn't cause a dimensional collapse that killed countless innocent human lives."

The Dragon Emperor looked down and with a rumbling sigh, he said, "This is something that should not be discussed beyond the Nexus. You may enter my domain." The shimmering portal became smooth as glass. "Enter now, my friends."

Lucy cast a cautious look at Kohta. He nodded as Lucy gripped his hand and Baldur's hand, leading them through the portal into the Nexus of all Realities. Once on the golden island floating in the ethereal sea of gates, she let go of Baldur and Kohta's hands while looking around. "Never did I think I would find myself here again in this sacred place, nor did I want to see it again. Every time I come here, I feel like a grain of sand on an endless beach."

"And that's the way it should make you feel, milady," the Dragon Emperor stated. "But this is not why you are here."

Baldur walked the ten meters to the Dragon Emperor and looked him in the eye as the Dragon Emperor lowered his head to greet his old friend. Baldur touched the Dragon Emperor on the side of his huge head and his face filled with a complex of delight and sadness.

"What troubled you, my long lost friend?" the Dragon Emperor asked softly.

"Did you do what the Queen accused you of?" Baldur asked.

The Dragon Emperor turned away from Baldur to hide the pained look on his face. "You don't know what they did to us…to me."

"Yes we do, your majesty," Kohta stated, walking fearlessly to the Dragon Emperor. "We know how the humans closest to you betrayed you in your greatest battle and it cost you everything. It's unconscionable what they did in that chaos. There was no excuse for such a betrayal. But that was five thousand years ago. Humanity has changed and matured since the end of the Dragon Wars. We are not the same as we were back then. You saw it. Humanity created us; the diclonius Queen and her hybrid King who took down the darkest, most powerful Chaos Lord to ever haunt the universe. We did it because we humans have evolved and changed."

"You still don't know the pain of watching your best friend and soul mate cut down in front of you," the Dragon Emperor retorted. "And by the very people you were protecting!"

"You're wrong," Lucy stated quickly moving around in front of the dragon. She floated in the air on her vectors so she could look him in the eye. "We both know that's wrong. What worse betrayal can you get than what happened to Izanami and Rayden! She had to kill her own brother to keep him from becoming a genocidal monster. I know her pain and grief as she crushed Rayden's heart and brain! It's a pain that is beyond any comprehension and what's worse is that it was brought on by humans who betrayed her family's trust." Lucy softened her tone. "And in my own life, I've dealt with constant betrayals by those who were supposed to be my friends, only to find them self-serving shits who couldn't deal with who I was. But I found out that holding on to old wrongs only creates more problems and hate. You want betrayal? I tell you what betrayal is. In my rage, I killed Kohta's family in front of him years ago. That act led me into a nightmare that I only woke from because Kohta forgave me, leading me out of that darkness. Ryu; even though you are a dragon, I can sense the conflict within you; your hate, grief, anger, and wrath over what the humans did to you and your kind all those years ago."

"How dare you lecture me!" the Dragon Emperor roared. "Your betrayal was of just one species. Mine was from humanity's betrayal of dozens of species who helped to keep the Chaos Lords from swallowing humanity and becoming a plague on the universe! So don't talk to me about betrayals, Queen Lucy Saros! Because of humanity's betrayal, I not only lost my only true soul mate, but my kind, the elementals, even the angels and demons who fought to contain the Chaos Lords found themselves exiled or hunted to extinction! If there's anyone here who has reason to be angry and want revenge, it is I. I watched those wretched humans eradicate every dragon who remained. How can you possibly know my pain! What I did eased my rage against your kind. I didn't want to utterly consume them, but I did want them to pay for their evil against the intelligent species that saved their asses from oblivion!"

Lucy's face became stony and her rage doubled. "This is not what I hoped to hear," she growled icily.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, your majesty," the Dragon Emperor retorted sarcastically. "But you must understand I have had a very long time to ponder this course of action. I will not back down from what I did. My clans, friends, and allies all demand justice for the betrayal."

"So you wait five thousand years before you do it?" Kohta asked, flabbergasted by the sudden turn in the Dragon Emperor's temperament. "That's not right! There's not a soul alive on the earth now who ever knew of this betrayal. You can't get revenge on a people who don't know what they've done! That's what I finally got Lucy to realize. You can't destroy the righteous with the wicked."

The Dragon Emperor turned quickly back to Kohta and lowered his head to look Kohta in the eye. "There isn't anyone who isn't guilty, not anymore, Master Kohta. They deserved the destruction."

"Then Lucy and I are just as guilty as the people whom you slaughtered," Kohta declared. "You should have left us to our fate with Calidor and not helped us. But you didn't. Why?"

"Because you are not responsible," the Dragon Emperor replied. "You are not part of that humanity that caused betrayed me and Baldur."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" Baldur cried in utter dismay. "What happened to you, Ryu? You used to love humanity!"

"Long ago I did, Baldur," the Dragon Emperor stated glumly. "Then I saw how even without the Chaos Lord's influence, the human race had more than enough darkness within it to turn against us."

"That's no excuse," Kohta balked. "If that is what your verdict is on humanity, then how do you account for us? We're human. What about Mayu and Nana, even Myra, and Aiko? What about them? Would you kill them in your thirst for vengeance?"

The Dragon Emperor glared at Kohta. "How dare you even speak of such evil in my presence! I do not kill the good with the evil!"

"But you did when you loosed that monster wave with the dimensional shift!" Kohta declared. "You killed people who were not your enemies. Shit…they didn't even know you existed! Dragons are myths and fairy tales in our world."

Lucy lashed out with her vectors, completely immobilizing the Dragon Emperor in a vector cocoon. "What are you doing?" the Dragon Emperor cried out in desperation, feeling the unbreakable coils of Lucy's vectors hemming him in on all sides. Before he could say anything else, Lucy tied his mouth shut with her vectors as she turned him around to face her.

The look on Lucy's face shocked even Kohta. It was so cold and stony that it caused him to pause. Lucy stared into the Dragon Emperor's eyes and said slowly and deliberately "You've said enough. I'm going to find out the truth of what you say." She sent a single vector in the dragon's mind to see for herself the betrayal from the Dragon Emperor's eyes. Tears abruptly gushed from her eyes as sobs erupted. Withdrawing her mental probe but leaving the Dragon Emperor bound, Lucy wept "I now understand you pain and rage, Ryu. It has festered for so long and finally broke free with your moving of the Island. I don't deny you the right to your pain and rage, but you can't let it swallow your soul. If it does, you'll become like your brothers who turned to the darkness, becoming chaos dragons. You can't let that happen, otherwise everything we fought, bled, and died for is for nothing. I'm going to let you speak now." She released the Dragon Emperor's mouth slowly, ready for anything.

The anger and fury in the Dragon Emperor's eyes she saw moments before went out like a candle flame flickering on the verge of being extinguished. "Why are you holding me prisoner?" he asked. "It is as I feared. Your power is beyond my own. I cannot break free of your vector bindings."

Lucy, who had been floating in the air on her vectors while snaring the Dragon Emperor let them both down onto the platform, but she kept him firmly immobilized. Kohta and Baldur rushed around to flank Lucy. Lucy's stony face softened with pity. "I'm keeping you from doing something we'll all regret, my friend. You were on the verge of becoming violent against Kohta and Baldur, so I had no choice but to intervene. As you now know, both Kohta and I have the ability to kill you where you stand, but that isn't what we want or why we're here. We just want to find out whether your actions were born out of an uncontrollable impulse of anger and rage, or whether you had truly turned to the darkness. I found out when I touched your mind to see the betrayal that you haven't turned as I feared. Your rage and grief merely overloaded your good sense. Believe me I know how easy it can happen. If it weren't for Kohta, I might have been the curse that killed everyone. But it appears that wasn't to be."

"What do you want?" the Dragon Emperor asked stonily.

"I want you to calm down so we can discuss this like rational beings," Lucy stated. "You did something that was so out of your character that I can't fathom how it happened. We want to help you, not destroy you. Now can I let you go now?"

"Please Ryu," Baldur begged. "She doesn't want to kill you, just make right what you did. Is that all bad? The humans of Lucy's world are not like the ones of ours. They are stronger and more resilient against the darkness than the humans of our time. Please, repent of this madness. Come back to me that we may make it right and keep the balance of the universe in check. Your actions have upset the balance."

The Dragon Emperor's eyes grew wide and the tension in his body melted away with his anger. "By the dragon gods of old, I have betrayed a sacred trust as guardian of this sacred place. I used my power out of malice and anger." He turned his eyes to Lucy and said softly, "You may release me now, milady. The rage is gone and I understand my sin against your people."

Lucy gently released the Dragon Emperor, letting him stand on his feet. "At last, now we can talk reasonably with you about this grievous act. Despite my better judgment, I find myself liking you, Ryu. Maybe it's because I see so much of myself in your actions. It's like I was trying to tell you earlier. I know what it's like to be overwhelmed with anger and grief, killing out of spite to punish those who wronged me. It's a dark place that few people escape from. But Kohta pulled me from that darkness and taught me one thing that has defined my existence since he came into my life. Do you want to know what that is?"

"What's that, milady?" the Dragon Emperor asked.

"It's the power of forgiveness and the second chance," Lucy stated. "I didn't come here to condemn and destroy you. I wanted to confront you to see if what you did was just an isolated outburst of sorrow and rage over old wrongs, or whether you had turned to the darkness we fought and bled and died to stop. You know what I see?"

"What do you see, milady?" the Dragon Emperor answered softly.

"I see someone who's just realized his screw up and is looking to undo the wrong he inflicted," Lucy stated. "You're not an inherently evil creature like Calidor, Ryu. But like me, you are one who can only take so much before lashing out. I was the same way before Kohta pulled me from the darkness. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"I think I do," the Dragon Emperor whispered. "Is this why you brought my old friend back from the nether regions of the dead? It's obvious that had he not pointed out how I unbalanced the Nexus with my act, I may have never realized how badly I had failed."

"I did," Lucy stated, "But as Izanami told me, only in the Nexus can the living and the dead occupy the same space at the same time. Your friend is an ancient soul long deceased from my dimension of existence. But it doesn't mean he cannot live again in another dimension. You know what you must do."

"Yes," the Dragon Emperor murmured. He lowered his head and looked Baldur in the eye. "My old friend," he said softly. "It does my heart good to see your face after all the long millennia. But I have let you down."

"Is it true," Baldur insisted. "I know you admitted it earlier in your outburst. But that could have been your anger talking. I need to know: Did you create a violent dimensional collapse by removing the Nexus Island from their dimension?"

"I did," the Dragon Emperor conceded with shame. "You heard it in our argument. After all those millennia of watching the humans get away with their crimes against us, I snapped after the Queen and Master Kohta exiled Calidor back into his home dimension. I feared their power too, knowing that as powerful as I am, I could not withstand their combined power. I now know that for a fact with Queen Lucy's subjugation of me in my anger. So I ripped the Island from its dimensional bubble, collapsed it, and send the wave that punished the humans for their crimes against us."

Baldur looked at Lucy with a terribly hurt expression, and then looked back to the Dragon Emperor. "But why would you do such a thing? You loved the humans so much that you fought the Chaos Lords to the death protecting them. Why would you suddenly hate them so much that you'd kill them like that?"

"When I lost you, Baldur," the Dragon Emperor said, "I helped repel the darkness and then was given the option of becoming the Nexus Guardian so that I could keep watch over the gates so that the Dark Lords would not return. I consented just to get away from the humans who had turned on us at the end. Five thousand years of inconsolable grief built up and when the final battle with Calidor erupted, I found a way to get some of my revenge on the humans. But when I finally did it and saw the destruction and loss of life it cost, I realized how close I had come to falling into the darkness the way our brethren did during the Dragon Wars. It sickened me that I was becoming the very thing I hated. Moreover, I heard the death cries of every life my action extinguished. As you said, these people had done nothing to me, but I killed them out of spite over a grudge that I had nursed for far too long. The death toll Calidor was inflicting wasn't enough. I had to have more; a death toll that I was responsible for, not Calidor. Gods, what have I become? I am no longer worthy to be the guardian of this sacred place. What do I do? I want to make this right, but don't know how."

These are the words Lucy had hoped to hear. She flashed a knowing smile at Kohta, and then said to the Dragon Emperor, "So you do admit to killing all those people."

"I do, milady," the Dragon Emperor replied. "It is an action I wish I could undo, but once an action is cast from the Nexus of all Realities, it cannot be undone. It spreads to all dimensions in the multiverse. This is an everlasting shame on me."

"Oh my old friend," Baldur replied, suddenly realizing why he was brought along. "The first step to undoing the evil is by admitting what you did was evil. That proves you are not tainted by the Chaos Lord's darkness. But it doesn't make it right. Are you sorry you did it?"

"I am," the Dragon Emperor said softly in a humble tone that Lucy immediately noticed. "Whatever Fate and Justice has in store for me, I will accept. Lucy, as a representative of humanity, will you accept my sincere apology for my unwarranted attack on your kind?"

"Yes," Lucy said evenly. "I forgive you. But you still must pay for what you did. I think some form of penance is in order to prove that you are sincere about this."

"Whatever your will is, milady, I will do it," the Dragon Emperor stated.

"I'm glad I was able to catch you now before your grief over your mistake turned to darkness," Lucy stated. "I'm also glad I was able to get to you before that damnable Eternal Council sent their people in here to punish you. I'm sure they wouldn't be nearly as merciful as I."

The statement sent shivers through the Dragon Emperor's frame that Kohta notice. "I see your point," the Dragon Emperor replied. "They could be watching this right now to see how you deal with my sin against humanity. So, milady; what is your justice?"

"Justice is seldom merciful, Ryu," Kohta stated. "But I can see you are very repentant of your actions now that you are out of your rage. It just occurred to me that since you heard the death cries of every soul you killed with your actions, including those in the storms that returned Rayden and Bandoh to our dimension, I think it would be appropriate if you personally apologized to each of them. Does that sound like a good idea, Lucy?"

"It certainly does," Lucy replied. "Since you control the Nexus and time has no meaning here, you have all the time in the universe you need to find those souls and apologize. To make sure that you do this, I am going to let Baldur stay with you as long as he desires. He is my representative here in the Nexus to make sure you keep your word. Is that okay with you, Baldur?"

Baldur's face went from shock to elation. "You mean I can stay with Ryu?"

"As long as you like, at least until he finishes apologizing to everyone he so carelessly destroyed," Lucy stated.

"Oh thank you, milady," Baldur crowed, sweeping her up in a bear hug, swinging her around a couple of times. "Thank you! I will not let you down."

"I know you won't, Baldur," Lucy said with a smile as he set her on her feet. "I'm sure you two have much to catch up on. But there's one more thing I want done here."

"What is that, milady?" the Dragon Emperor asked.

"If there's anything that is going to come after us, either those fucking Dark Lords or those from this Eternal Council I heard the Forest Spirit and you speak of, I want to know immediately so we're not blindsided by it," Lucy demanded. "I have a sneaking suspicion that Calidor's escape may have been orchestrated by someone other than you, my dragon comrade. I've seen dragons, and I've seen elemental now. Surely the other you spoke of who made up the Eternal Council must also exist and could become a threat to us."

"You spoke with the Forest Spirit?" the Dragon Emperor asked in amazement.

"We sure did," Kohta answered, fielding the question. "It was he who told us of your shenanigans with the wave and the dirty deal you did with Rayden. The elementals apparently interceded and managed to change some of your condition when you made the unstable dimensional contacts to send Rayden and Bandoh back. Why did you send Bandoh back anyway? You knew he was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Now we have to deal with him again."

"Bandoh happened to be Rayden's mirror image, his dark side," the Dragon Emperor stated. "It was unfortunate that Bandoh happened to fit Rayden so perfectly. Besides, I was so angry that I thought if Bandoh went back, he could cause some mischief for the humans as an added bonus for me. But those are the rules for dimension jumping from the Nexus. The good and bad must go together from one dimension to another, otherwise a major imbalance occurs like the one Calidor caused. I couldn't get around it."

"But the Forest Spirit said that you didn't have to rob him of his complete identity or power in doing the jump," Lucy retorted. "It was that part that they interfered with. They made it so Rayden would recover his identity if he connected with his one true soul mate. Fortunately for you, Yuka is Rayden's soul mate and we were able to recover most of his identity and memories concerning his past and his connection with Yuka in Calidor's palace. The Forest Spirit did that so he could have a second chance to live the life Calidor robbed him of."

"I am sorry, milady," the Dragon Emperor murmured. "The Forest Spirit is correct. I didn't have to do it the way I did, but I did it out of my rage against the humans. I've fouled up so many times here with this. How can you ever forgive me?"

Lucy softened her harsh glare and said, "That is what I asked Kohta. There is no how. We just do. Forgiveness is freely given, but trust must be earned. At this point, your penance is how you will earn our trust. Apologize to those souls you killed, let Baldur remain with you as my representative and more importantly, as your friend, and inform me of anything that may affect us from the outside. Do that and you will have gained my trust and the trust of humanity."

"It's a bitter pill, but one I gladly take," the Dragon Emperor stated calmly. "I have committed a grievous sin against humanity and the Nexus itself. It's only right that I atone for that sin. I accept your judgment and sentence. I will apologize to every soul I extinguished with this cowardly act of rage and let you know if trouble threatens from the outside of your dimension. Moreover, I gladly accept Baldur's company. The Nexus can be a very lonely place. Thank you for reuniting me with my soul mate and giving me a chance to make up for my cowardly behavior. The gate to your Collective will remain open to you and Master Kohta whenever you wish to commune with me. But because of my stupidity, you will need to access the Nexus as you did this time, through your Collective. It's the only stable path to your dimension. Now, if you will excuse us, I have much work to do and many souls to apologize to."

Lucy smiles warmly for the first time since coming into the Nexus. "I'm glad we were able to work things out, Ryu," she said. "I really didn't want to find you turned like Rayden when Calidor took him, but fortune seems to have favored us. You were ready to make up for your mistake. And it was a mistake, wasn't it?"

"Yes, milady," the Dragon Emperor stated, "a stupid, supremely foolish mistake. I'm equally happy that you didn't come here to destroy me, because I know that you and Master Kohta have the power to do it; no questions asked. You are a power that even the Eternal Council must learn to fear, and I'm sure they will fear it when they discover the extent of your accomplishments. So until you need me again, milady, Master Kohta; I bid you adieu. Return to your Collective and to your body. You can see you are quite drained and a bit ill. Check with your doctors, milady, just to be safe. I look forward to earning your trust and the trust of your offspring; and thank you for helping to set right a grievous sin. I shall not forget your mercy."

"You're welcome, Ryu," Lucy replied softly. "Just don't make me do something like this again. I don't like having to punish creatures that are far older and wiser than I."

"It shall not happen again," the Dragon Emperor promised. "You have my word on it."

"I know it won't," Lucy murmured, the exhaustion starting to settle on her.

"Thank you for letting me stay with Ryu," Baldur said in parting, "I will keep a close eye on him, and be his calming half. Farewell, milady, Master Kohta. Go home and get some well-deserved rest. It looks like you need it." He shook each of their hands and walked away with the Dragon Emperor.

"I guess we're done here," Kohta stated.

"Seems we are, Kohta," Lucy stated. "Let's go home. I'm beginning to feel right down sick."

"I can see that," Kohta stated as they walked back through the portal into the Collective. Once they re-entered the Collective, the clear portal shimmered again, becoming translucent. Izanami, Yuan, and Ai stood there waiting.

"Where's Baldur?" Yuan asked.

"Reunited with the Dragon Emperor," Kohta stated.

"He is also my representative to the Dragon Emperor in the Nexus," Lucy said, her complexion paling as she spoke.

"So how did it go?" Izanami asked.

"Better than I expected," Kohta replied. "At first, it was a little touch and go. We nearly had to fight him, but Baldur managed to calm him down enough for us to reason with him. Apparently, the Dragon Emperor had a serious prick on his conscious when he killed all those people in his anger. He said he was sorry after we got him to calm down and ordered him to apologize to every soul he killed in his anger with Baldur there to make sure he follows through. That should keep him busy for a good long time, though time really has no meaning in the Nexus."

"Ryu took the penance better than I anticipated," Lucy murmured. "He knew he fucked up big time and took the punishment well. We shouldn't have any more trouble from him."

Ai put her hand on Lucy's shoulder, noticing Lucy's paling complexion and drained look. "You've exhausted yourself, milady," Ai said, "You should go and take care of your body now. It's causing you trouble that's showing up even here."

Lucy nodded. "That's where we're going next, Ai. Thank you for the concern. Come on Kohta; let's go back to our world."

Kohta nodded, putting his arm around her. "Okay, Lucy. Anytime you're ready." She nodded and the world of the Collective vanished into a warm gray void as she and Kohta left the Collective behind. Kohta moaned as he began to feel his body, with Lucy's body pressing against his. He opened his eyes, finding that he was still sitting at the head of the bed holding on to Lucy. "Lucy…Lucy, are you okay?" he asked.

Lucy snapped alert, her eyes darting around until she recognized her surroundings and Kohta's voice. "Ugh," she moaned. "I'm really feeling sick now. I think I'd better go see the doctor now."

"Okay," Kohta stated as he helped her up. Wrapping his arm around her to steady her, he walked Lucy out the door heading for the infirmary.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: One more loose end taken care of; the Dragon Emperor realized his sin and took to his penance with sober acceptance. Moreover, Lucy and Kohta are one step closer to gaining their peaceful home with the agreement with Watanabe. Will their agreement with Watanabe be validated by the Japanese people or will they reject it? We shall see. Also, what will the return of Tao from the rescue mission to Tibet bring? Will it show the Chinese government culpability in the massacre or was it an act of a rogue division in the Chinese military? Will they even return at all? Read on to find out. And finally, what is the mystery ailment that is plaguing Lucy? Will this sickness do her in after all she and Kohta did, or is it just another bump in their road to the peace they want? All shall be revealed in due order. The Requiem is fast coming to an end.

As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest, but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	44. Chapter 44 New Beginnings

Chapter 44

New Beginnings

Minutesafter returning from chastising the Dragon Emperor in the Nexus, Kohta and Lucy sat in the Chimera's infirmary with Dr. Ravenclaw. "What seems to be the trouble milady?" Ravenclaw asked. "I can tell that you're not feeling well just by looking at you."

"Oh really; It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out," Lucy snapped sourly.

Ravenclaw let the barb pass by without responding to it. "Why don't you tell me how you're feeling," he replied professionally as he checked her pulse.

"I'm feeling drained, and very nauseous," Lucy stated glumly. "It's like something is trying to drain my strength, but I can't tell what it is. Maybe I've caught some kind of bug from our battle with Calidor."

Ravenclaw put his stethoscope in his ear and placed the end of it on Lucy's chest, listening to her heart and breathing. "It's possible," he stated, "but unlikely. Your heart rate is a little fast, but nothing to worry about. Breathe deeply, milady." Lucy obliged him, breathing in deep, slow breaths. "Your lungs are clear," Ravenclaw announced as he hung his stethoscope around his neck. He checked her glands, asking, "Are you having any headaches or sinus trouble?"

"Some," Lucy admitted. "I've been having these blinding headaches periodically since we left the Island of the Collective. I just attributed it to being worn out from dealing with Calidor and everyone else."

"Hmmm," Ravenclaw murmured as he felt her forehead, "Interesting. Are you having any other symptoms?"

"Not that I know of," Lucy stated. "I'm just so tired all the time. Also, I don't know whether it means anything or not, but I get these occasional cravings for specific types of foods when I'm not feeling so drained or nauseous."

Ravenclaw rubbed his jaw for a moment as he pondered Lucy's symptoms. "Hmmm, you feel just a bit warm. Wait here for a moment," he stated, "while I get my portable scanner. It may discover something that I've overlooked."

Lucy nodded as Ravenclaw went to his office. "All I wanted was something to get rid of this upset stomach," she complained.

"But the doctor is trying to figure out what it is that's causing your upset stomach and fatigue," Kohta replied. "He doesn't want to treat you with the wrong medicine and make it worse."

"I guess you're right," Lucy mumbled. She felt a wave of intense nausea slam her, bringing the acid of her stomach almost up to the top of her throat. She clamped her hand down on her mouth and rushed to the bathroom. Slamming the door behind her, she puked into the toilet, expelling the burning stomach acid with what was left of her lunch.

Kohta rushed to the bathroom door and was about to ask if she was all right when Ravenclaw returned with a small device. "Where's Lucy?" Ravenclaw asked.

"She's in there puking her guts out, doctor," Kohta declared with some concern. "Can't you do anything for her?"

Ravenclaw knocked on the bathroom door, hearing Lucy heaving and spewing. "Lucy…are you okay? Lucy?" he asked with growing concern. When he didn't receive a response, he opened the door, seeing Lucy sitting down on the floor next to the toilet with a very pale look on her face. Seeing the vomit in the toilet, he flushed it away and squatted down next to her. He put his hand on her forehead and felt more heat than he felt before. "You're definitely running a fever, Lucy."

"You don't say," Lucy retorted weakly. "I've been telling you that I've been feeling sick."

"Don't be like that, Lucy," Kohta said as he wiped her mouth with a wash cloth. "He's trying to help."

"I know," Lucy whispered. "I'm sorry, doctor."

Ravenclaw smiled warmly, patting her on the shoulder. "Don't you worry about it, milady. I know exactly how being sick can make a person disagreeable. Come on; let's get you to the diagnosis bed. The scanner there will work better than this little gadget. Bring her, Master Kohta."

Kohta nodded and picked up Lucy, following Ravenclaw to a state-of-the-art bed with all manner of sensors and scanners hooked to it. Ravenclaw helped Kohta lay her on the bed. The moment she hit the bed, the apparatus came alive and her pulse registered on the monitor. Moreover, Lucy relaxed noticeably when she lied down on the semi-soft bed. "How are you feeling now?" Ravenclaw asked.

"Not as nauseous," Lucy murmured. "But my head is pounding, I'm cold, and I'm so very tired."

"Okay," Ravenclaw stated. "Let's give you something for your pain." He pulled out a needle from his pocket. "This syringe has a small dose of morphine in it. It should deaden your pain unless you want me to unhook your pain receptors with my vectors."

"Just give me the shot," Lucy stated. "I'm not sure that you'd be able to find my pain receptors."

"Very well," Ravenclaw stated, administering the small dose of morphine.

Within seconds of getting the shot, Lucy's face dramatically relaxed. "Thank you, doctor," she murmured. "The throbbing is letting up some now."

"Good," Ravenclaw stated. "Now let's see if we can find out what's causing the fever and these other symptoms." He touched the control panel for the bed and a beam of light flashed from overhead, scanning her from head to toe. He looked at the display for the bed with great interest. "Hmmm, seems you have contracted a mild case of the flu. That seems to account for the fever and some of the fatigue. I have some medicine that will knock that out in no time. But there's something else going on here." Ravenclaw rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.

"Well, what is it?" Kohta asked with growing agitation. "Don't keep us in the dark, doctor."

"Just hold still while I go and verify these results," Ravenclaw stated. "This will only take a few moments. In the meantime, just relax and don't worry, Master Kohta. Lucy isn't going to die from this. I promise." He walked back into his office and closed the door.

Kohta looked at the display on the bed, but couldn't make heads or tails of the readings. "I can't figure out what these things are saying," he stated. "These readings don't make any sense. Though I could be reading them wrong since I have no idea how this contraption works."

Lucy reached out and grasped Kohta's hand. "Don't worry about it, Kohta," she murmured. "The doctor is right. I'm not going to die of this, whatever it is."

"I hope you're right," Kohta answered, fear betraying his tone. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you now."

"You're never going to lose me, Kohta," Lucy replied sincerely. "We have our whole lives ahead of us, and as long as I live, so will you. It's just the way it is with us diclonius." Her words settled Kohta's fear and he smiled warmly at her.

Five minutes later, Ravenclaw returned with a cup of water and a couple of pills. "Take these, Lucy," Ravenclaw stated. "They will help with your fever and nausea."

"What's the prognosis, doctor?" Kohta asked as Lucy took the pills.

"Oh, it's nothing serious," Ravenclaw stated. "As I said, she has a case of the flu. That's what the pills are for. The medicine will knock out the virus in no time. But what caused me to double check is the fact that the scanner is picking up multiple heartbeats."

Lucy's mouth fell open in shock. "What are you talking about, multiple heartbeats?" she demanded.

"It's just as I said," Ravenclaw stated. "When I saw that, the other symptoms you told me about made sense."

"Stop beating around the bush and spit it out, doctor," Kohta ordered. "Are you saying that Lucy is…," Kohta could not finish his sentence; the ramifications were so deep that he dared not voice the result that Ravenclaw confirmed.

"Yes, Master Kohta," Ravenclaw declared with a smile. "The only reason the apparatus would pick up multiple heartbeats is if Lucy were pregnant. She is actually carrying twins: a boy and a girl." Turning to Lucy's astonished face, he added, "I'm surprised you didn't already know, but you are in your third week. The nausea you felt is simple morning sickness aggravated by a mild case of the flu and extreme exhaustion. You've pushed yourself far too hard for far too long. You fatigued yourself to such an extent that your immune system became compromised. That's why you came down with the flu. If you don't believe me, look for yourself. You have the ability to do that."

Kohta stared at Lucy, dumbfounded at the news while she closed her eyes and concentrated on sensing her own body. "She's going to have twins?" Kohta asked softly. "Are you sure?"

Ravenclaw patted Kohta on the arm with a knowing smile. "Yes, Master Kohta…she's carrying what is most likely your son and daughter since you are the only one who has been with Lucy in an intimate manner."

"I'm going to be a father," Kohta breathed. "You hear that, Lucy? I'm going to be a father and you a mother! It boggles my imagination."

Lucy opened her eyes and sighed deeply. A troubled look crossed her face as she said, "He's right, Kohta. I'm pregnant with twins. I didn't catch it because of how focused I was on dealing with everyone else's shit. I should have been more observant."

"It's okay, milady," Ravenclaw stated. "We all understand how that could happen, given what's transpired in the last several months."

Kohta sat beside Lucy and held her hand. "This is the final tie that will keep us together forever," he declared. "We are now one in all ways." A thought hit him that caused him to falter. "Are they really my children?"

Lucy suddenly realized that Kohta truly wanted her and her offspring to be his. This caused some of her hesitation to lift. "Yes Kohta," she murmured, "The twins are yours and mine alone. Kakuzawa and his goons were never able rape me. I'm sure the doctor can do a blood test to confirm that you're the father."

A look of unbridled joy swept Kohta's face. He threw himself on Lucy and kissed her passionately. She, having come to expect his somewhat erratic displays of emotion towards her, responded in kind, taking in his affection. A feeling of being completely whole filled her. She was now not just the Queen of the diclonius in word, but soon to be in blood and deed. She and Kohta were now the parents of a new race of diclonius. It cemented her relationship to the diclonius world and Kohta to that world. He belonged to their world now and she knew it. Moreover, he knew it too.

Ravenclaw chuckled at the display, feeling immensely privileged to have witnessed such a private moment between Kohta and Lucy. "It does my heart well to see such love in this dark day we live in," Ravenclaw stated. "Keep that love and you will prove everyone wrong about our kind, milady."

"Yeah," Lucy replied. "That's the idea."

"Is there anything else, doctor?" Kohta asked.

"As for Lucy's condition, I prescribe some rest," Ravenclaw answered. "Take some time for yourself and relax. The medicine will take care of the flu bug in a day or two, but the rest of your problem is that you just need time to relax and unwind. Let your body recover from everything you've put it through. Tap on our strength if you need to help recharge your batteries, milady; it is your prerogative as Queen to do so. The same goes for you too, Master Kohta. I can see the heavy fatigue on you too. Just take some time off and have some fun. Don't worry about the world. The world can take care of itself for right now."

"Sounds like some damned good advice, Lucy," Kohta murmured. "I know I could do with some down time to recharge."

"Okay, doctor," Lucy stated. "I'll do it for the sake of my unborn children."

"May I ask a personal question of you both?" Ravenclaw asked.

"It depends on what it is," Lucy stated.

"Did the captain ever marry you two officially?" Ravenclaw asked. "I seem to remember that you wanted to get married before the battle with Calidor, but you decided to let it wait to see if you survived the fight, which you obviously did."

"Oh goodness," Kohta breathed. "I almost forgot about that. What do you say, Lucy? You want to go through with the marriage now?"

"Yes," Lucy replied warmly. "We need to be a complete family."

"Could you let the captain know, doctor?" Kohta asked.

"Absolutely," Ravenclaw stated. "I'll let him know right away."

No sooner than Ravenclaw had finished speaking, Fargo entered the infirmary. His face was grim and sober as he approached them. "Speak of the devil and he will appear," Ravenclaw chimed with just a bit of sarcasm. "Now you can ask him yourself."

"Ask me what?" Fargo replied.

"Lucy and I think it's time you married us," Kohta stated. "It's particularly important now since we just found out that Lucy is carrying twins."

Fargo's face blanked for a moment as he digested the news. "Lucy's pregnant?"

"Yes, captain," Ravenclaw answered. "She is three weeks pregnant. If she hadn't come in here feeling sick with a fever and vomiting, we would not have found out."

"Are you feeling better now, milady?" Fargo asked; the concern for Lucy overshadowing his grim countenance.

"Better than I did," Lucy murmured, "…thanks to the doctor's medicine and diagnosis. I just wore myself out with the dealing with Calidor and the rest of this fucked up world. Ravenclaw says I need to just take some time off and recharge my batteries; something I intend to do."

"And you should," Fargo agreed. "As our Queen, you need to take care of yourself first before you help the rest of us. If you persist in a weakened state, you may become vulnerable to outside attacks that could remove you as our Queen."

"That will not happen," Kohta replied sternly. "We have not come this far to let this position be usurped by someone or something else."

"I'm glad," Fargo stated with a sober smile. "And as for marrying you, it would be my pleasure. Just tell me when you want me to start the preparations and I'll get right on it."

"Now is as good a time as any," Lucy stated. "But I could see from your expression when you came in here that you've got some bad news. What is it?"

Fargo shook his head sadly. "I hate to do this after all this good news you've given me, but I must."

"What is it, Captain?" Lucy demanded, sensing his reluctance to share the information. "Don't make me pick it out of your head."

"I just received word from the Chinese government about the raid on Tao's sanctuary," Fargo reported. "It seems that the attack on the sanctuary was not sanctioned by their government, which has splintered like most of the surviving governments around the world. Rogue elements within the government, military, and intelligence apparatus have turned against the Chinese president and his deal with us. China is now in a state of civil war with these rogue elements, which are going out of their way to eliminate the diclonius anywhere they find them within Chinese territory. They are also attacking anyone who is friendly to us and our cause, especially those within the Chinese government. Fortunately, those loyal to the Chinese president and our agreement have slowed the progress of this extermination by engaging these rebel forces head-on and providing safe areas for our people and those who call them friends. He wants to speak with you personally about this, milady."

"Fuck!" Lucy shouted; her face flushing. "Just when I thought I was going to get some time off, this happens."

"Please, milady," Fargo begged. "The Chinese president is adamant about providing an apology for this violation of the agreement and wants to insure that the agreement with you will not be scrapped."

Lucy hissed as she slowly stood up. Kohta hovered at her side, gently steadying her by holding on to her arm. "Very well," Lucy said glumly. "I'll go talk to this shit, but he'd better be damned convincing. I'm not going to tolerate our people being hunted after he promised peace with us."

"He seemed very sincere when I spoke with him," Fargo stated. "This action apparently blindsided him and he wants to be sure not to lose your favor. Even now, he waits to speak with you through our com-link in my ready room."

Seeing and feeling Lucy's rage growing again, Kohta put his arm around her and murmured, "Calm down, Lucy; we don't know anything yet. Let's hear what he has to say before we pass judgment on them."

"Okay, Kohta," Lucy growled, "I'll listen, for your sake. But if he shows any indication that he is lying to me, he and everyone in China who were responsible for this atrocity are dead. This is a war they cannot win."

"Don't say such things," Kohta chided softly. "Remember everything we went through; we cannot destroy the innocent with the guilty. Remember Izanami and Rayden. We don't want a repeat of that catastrophe."

Lucy suddenly realized the darkness festering within her still posed a danger and her stony demeanor softened. "You're right, Kohta. Thank you for reminding me of where we came from. If I kill them out of revenge, then we are no better than they are. Come on, Fargo, Kohta; let's take care of this sordid business so I can get back to that vacation we sorely need."

"This way, milady," Fargo replied; leading them to his ready room. The moment they entered the ready room, they noticed Ron at the computer. Saito and Emperor Watanabe sat on the left side of the table with the bank of view screens at the end showing the Chinese president in his office with the head of the Chinese military standing next to the desk where the Chinese president sat. "I'm glad you could wait, Mr. President," Fargo called out. "Queen Lucy and Master Kohta have reluctantly decided to talk to you about this fiasco."

The Chinese president stood from his desk and walked in front of it as Lucy and Kohta sat at the end of the table in the ready room. "I sincerely appreciate this opportunity to speak to you about this, milady," the Chinese president said formally with a bow.

"Get on with it," Lucy snapped. "Is what I hear true? Has a portion of your government and military turned against our people? I know for a fact that it was elite Chinese troops and equipment that attacked our people's sanctuary high in the Himalayas, far from any place where they would be deemed a threat. How do you explain this gross violation of our agreement?"

"There is no excuse for this violation of our accord," the Chinese president stated grimly. "I bear the blame for allowing this to happen. The same factions in our government that experimented on your kind have turned against us as well as you. We were not fast enough in liquidating these factions and now they roam the country taking out not just your people, but our people who are friendly to your people. This is a complete fracturing of our government and we are now in a defacto state of war with these factions.

"As I speak, we are attempting to destroy these rogue factions so that our accord may stand. What they did is completely without honor. Furthermore, their actions have dishonored me, this government, and the Chinese people who made an agreement with you in good faith. Our honor will not be satisfied or restored until every one of these traitors are brought to justice. I pledge on my life and soul that I will not stop until all these traitors are captured and executed for their treason. Please, milady; do not blame us for this violation and I would like to apologize for the atrocities being committed by these maggots."

Lucy heard the sincerity and pleading in the Chinese president's voice, and softened her stance towards him. Sending a single vector across the thousands of kilometers between him and her, Lucy probed his mind covertly, seeing the betrayal of trust and how he was not responsible for the terrible turn of events. Withdrawing the vector without the Chinese president having ever known he'd been probed, Lucy said soberly, "I believe you, Mr. President. I can see it your mannerism and words. But I cannot allow this violation to pass. Do I need to make an example of your country for the rest of the world to see? I really didn't want it to come to this."

"What do you mean, milady?" the Chinese president asked cautiously. "You don't mean to unleash destruction on our people because of this, do you?"

"No, Mr. President," Lucy said icily. "I mean to liquidate these traitors myself. I know who they are because of what they did to my people there. Every time a human hurts or kills one of us, I see and know who was responsible through that diclonius' eyes. I will kill every last one of these shits who seek to destroy the peace between us."

The Chinese president's face went pale. "I would say you don't have that power, but I saw you use it on the Prime Minister when we first made our accord. As much as I would like that, I feel a bit uncomfortable in allowing you to do that to the traitors. They are still humans. But I don't want to see them continue in their wanton destruction of your people and mine because of their blind hatred."

"May I?" Kohta asked Lucy. She nodded and Kohta addressed the Chinese president. "Mr. President, I understand what you are saying since I was once a human like you. Maybe I can come up with an alternative that will allow everyone to be happy with it."

"I'm listening, Master Kohta," the Chinese President stated.

"Since Queen Lucy and I know where these traitors are," Kohta stated, "why don't we stop them in their tracks by paralyzing them from the neck down. They will not be able to move or fight back. Once that happens, we will forward their location to you so that you can capture them and do whatever you want to them in the name of justice. That way, we don't kill any humans and we also prevent a violent bloody civil war in your country. The last thing anyone needs after the clusterfuck we just went through is more violence and bloodshed on either side."

"A most intriguing proposition you make, Master Kohta," the Chinese president stated thoughtfully. "It has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of innocent people from a cruel death at the hands of hate-filled warmongers."

"It will," Lucy said sternly, "…but it will only be for those who directly affected the deaths of my people. Those who attack your people and not my people we will not be able to stop since we are not connected to the human population like we are to the diclonius. Our hive mind only works with our people. You will have to deal with the humans who kill humans friendly to us on your terms. But if we find out who these people are, we'll pass it on to you. I don't relish using my power in this manner. It's not my intention to prop up any regime with my power, not even yours, Mr. President."

"I understand," the Chinese president stated. "And you shouldn't. It's not the honorable thing to do. You don't want to become involved in our world, but we've once again managed to drag you and your people into it again. For that, I am sorry. But we have a dilemma here. Do you help us stop these traitors, whom I'm sure believe they are just as in the right as we are, or do you let us fight it out amongst ourselves? For the sake of stability and peace, I would be inclined to ask for your help just this once. Maybe with your helping us, you can show the rest of the world that you can and will protect your people. It may be the catalyst that is needed to bring peace to the globe."

"Or it could be the catalyst that will plunge the world into another Armageddon," Watanabe suggested. "I can clearly see the dilemma here faced by Queen Lucy. She must step very carefully here when dealing with us humans because we have a tendency to be unreliable and untrustworthy."

"Very well said, Emperor Watanabe," the Chinese general standing in the background of the viewer called out. He walked up beside the Chinese President and looked into Lucy's eyes through the viewer. "The whole problem here is what role, if any, do we want Queen Lucy to play in this affair. My military experience suggests that she should keep her hands clean of this mess and let us work this out on our own. These traitors are our people and we should be allowed to deal with them in our way, not hers or anyone else's way. But having her help to shut down the rebellion would save countless lives, both of our people and hers. It provides an interesting dilemma, as the Emperor so well points out. The only way I would approve of having her direct assistance is by hiding her involvement somehow."

"Hold on a minute, gentlemen," Saito intruded. "Granted, Lucy has the capability to wipe out these factions with a thought, but as you said, it may not be the best idea. What about your people linking up with diclonius there on the ground and working together to put down this rebellion? By your military and government working with the diclonius whom the rebels want eradicated, it may give you the edge you need to stop the senseless slaughter and thus keep the Queen out of it. This is a regional matter and if Lucy agrees to let her people help you, it will give you a great means of validating the accord, plus it will allow you to get the justice for both your people and the diclonius. That's what I see as the only legitimate option that will not turn human favor against the diclonius."

"That is an excellent idea, Saito," Kohta chimed. "It never occurred to me to let our people on the ground work with the friendly human element to fight for their common survival. It also allows us to keep us from having to show our power. By not showing our individual power as Queen and King, it gives our enemies something to fear. They will not know exactly how far they can push us without getting killed for it."

"Thank you, Master Kohta," Saito replied graciously. "It comes from years of working with diclonius and humans together as the chief of ARGUS intelligence operations."

"I agree," the Chinese president declared. "That is a much better way of dealing with this crisis. It keeps the problem in house and it avoids dragging the Queen into our mess. Furthermore, it gives her a way to keep up on our efforts to punish these traitors to peace. How does this sound, general?"

"It sounds like our best option," the Chinese general stated. "It keeps the Queen from having to directly intervene in our affairs, allowing us to keep our honor. I suggest that we take this option, Mr. President."

"And so I will," the Chinese President answered definitively. "That is if Queen Lucy agrees to it."

"It's okay with me," Lucy replied. "I really didn't want to get involved with your civil war anyway. But I couldn't let the slaughter of my people go unchallenged. I will relay the message to my people to work with your people, Mr. President, and fight back against the traitors to our treaty. The diclonius who are in China are Chinese anyway, so they have a vested interest in protecting their homes, families, and friends."

"That is a prudent point," Watanabe chimed. "A single person protecting his or her family and friends is more powerful than a dozen hired soldiers. You have not yet allowed your people to fight back in this manner, have you, milady?"

"Not in this way," Lucy stated. "But now we will test this idea that we can peacefully coexist with humans in all situations." Lucy turned her eye to the Chinese President on the viewer and added, "I'm doing this because I want us to live together in peace. Do not disappoint me, Mr. President; otherwise I may have to follow through on my original threat."

"Never fear, your majesty," the Chinese president stated with a bow. "You have been gracious enough to extend your help in the form of your people to us. We will eradicate this contagion of hate from China so all people, human and diclonius, may live side by side in peace. You have my word on it as the President of China."

"We shall see," Lucy stated coldly. "I shall be watching. Remember that, Mr. President." She looked at Ron and he cut the link right after the Chinese president bowed. The anger and adrenaline began draining from her, paling Lucy's complexion. "I've said it once and I'll say it again: god I hate dealing with those people."

"But you did well," Fargo complimented. "You managed to keep your cool and a good compromise came out of the deliberations, thanks to Saito's inspired intervention in the deliberations."

"But will they really follow through on the promise?" Ron asked.

"They'd better," Lucy growled. "That last threat wasn't an idle one. I'll destroy every last one of those traitors personally if they don't."

"But I don't think they will," Kohta stated. "Did you see the fear in his eyes when you suggested killing them yourself? I think he'll do anything rather than see you unleash your power in that manner. Now that's out of the way, let's get back to what the doctor ordered: some well-deserved R&R."

"You go on and do that," Fargo said. "We can handle things now. I'm really sorry I had to drag you into that, but it was something I just couldn't deal with myself."

"Don't sweat it," Kohta replied. "Maybe now we can get some rest. Come on, Lucy. I hear two beach chairs calling our names." He stood from his seat and helped Lucy up. In seconds, they were gone from the ready room.

"I hate to say it, but this is just the beginning," Watanabe stated.

"The beginning of what, your majesty?" Fargo asked.

"The beginning of a whole new set of troubles for the Queen and Master Kohta," Watanabe stated. "These rogue factions who were responsible for the persecution of the diclonius weren't all destroyed in the firestorm of Calidor's hate. Some persisted and are still out there, biding their time until they are strong enough to restart the annihilation of the diclonius. These evil people must be destroyed from off the face of the planet before they can turn humanity against the diclonius again."

"I hear you, my friend," Fargo stated grimly. "We must remain ever vigilant for their treachery. But we must also do what we can to help Lucy and Kohta find the peace they so crave. Maybe, Fate willing, some tenuous balance can be struck between the two."

"I certainly hope so," Saito murmured. "Of all people, they certainly deserve it."

A half hour later on the Chimera's conning tower observation deck, Lucy and Kohta sat stretched out in the deck chairs with their light jackets on to cut the chill in the air. The northeastern point of Hokkaido poked up over the western horizon three kilometers away. A warm wind blew in from the southeast, temporarily pushing back the cold air that had settled over the area. Puffy cumulus clouds drifted over the gently rolling Pacific, occasionally hiding the sun. Lucy gazed toward Hokkaido with the look of someone who longed to return home. Kohta noticed the tears rising in her eyes and sat up, turn to Lucy.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" he asked softly. "Why are you crying?"

"Is it so wrong for me to cry after everything that has happened?" Lucy snapped.

"Not at all," Kohta murmured; reaching out and holding her hand. "It's just that I've never seen you cry like this before. Up until now, you'd cry from an overload of anger, grief, or both. But this; it's like you're letting go of something so deep that even I couldn't see it. What is it, Lucy? Why do you cry now?"

Lucy sat up and looked at Kohta, staring down into his soul. Wiping her tears away, she whispered, choked with emotion "I'm crying because for the first time in my whole miserable life, I feel like I'm wanted, loved, and needed. It's something I never believed would ever happen. I cry because for the first time in my life, I am truly happy, despite everything that has happened. You have given me a gift I could never come close to repaying, Kohta. You gave me your life and love and now, that love has given us two amazing unborn children. I never thought I'd live long enough to have kids, but you changed that. I now have another reason to live besides you: our children." Her face abruptly darkened as she admitted "But it has also given me reason to be afraid. I know nothing about raising children. I was robbed of everything that resembled a family when I was thrown down into that ravine by my father. What do I do? How do I raise these children? I'm not qualified to raise them. I even fear that I might do something to them in my anger. What if someone or something tries to take them or kill them? I don't know if I could stand such a loss."

Kohta reached out and put his finger to her mouth, shutting it. "Don't say another word, Lucy. No one is going to hurt our children. You have my solemn word on that. I'll destroy the world myself to protect our children. Anyway, you're far more qualified to raise our children than you think. Unlike every other mother on the planet, you have countless diclonius mothers and fathers in the Collective who successfully raised their children with love and respect that you can call on for help when you need it. Besides, any mother or father who truly loves their children will tell you that no one really knows what they're doing when they first start a family. It's all trial and error. Sometimes things go well and sometimes they don't. But they'll let you know that having children is the best thing that ever happened to them. And if you're worried about doing it alone, don't forget that I'm here and I'm not going to let anything happen to our kids. They are our children and I intend to be there for them and you. We are in this together." His words caused Lucy's countenance to lighten up some.

She leaned over and embraced Kohta tightly. "Thank you, Kohta. You're the reason I can do this and why I am happy. These emotions are so contradictory and sometimes they just try to tear me apart. I'm happy, but I'm crying too. It doesn't make any sense."

"It doesn't have to make any sense," Kohta murmured, stroking her back softly. "I gave up trying to figure out emotions long ago. Most of the time, you just have to go with the flow. Crying cleanses the soul and I can see you are still cleansing yours, so cry as much as you need. It's okay. My shoulder is here as long as you need it."

"Kohta, I want us to get married at the sacred grove," Lucy stated. "It's the only place I feel it will have any meaning for me."

Kohta's eyes widened with surprise. "At the sacred grove where we saw the Forest Spirit, is that where you're talking about?"

Lucy pushed back and looked him in the eye, keeping her arms wrapped around his neck. With a glow of love and life in her eyes that took Kohta by surprise, she said "Yes, Kohta; we must do it there and this union must be witnessed by the Forest Spirit and his guardian, Tora. They are our link back to the earth, so I want them to be involved in this."

"Wow," Kohta breathed, "I never thought of it like that. You want to honor the Forest Spirit for the help he gave us. Is that what this is about, or am I totally off base on this?"

Lucy winked and touched her nose with her finger as a smile crossed her lips. She kissed him gently on the lips, and then said "You learn quickly, Kohta. That's exactly what I want to do. The Forest Spirit did more than any of us realize and I want to honor his help in this way. Besides, I'm going to have to ask him if we can build our home in his forest."

"I see," Kohta declared. "I guess I should go ask him first before we march in there to perform our wedding. It wouldn't be polite."

"I guess it wouldn't," Lucy stated. "But that is what…" A strange moan echoed from Hokkaido, interrupting her train of thought. "What is that?" she asked.

"I don't know," Kohta replied, standing up and facing the island. "It's like someone is moaning, but it doesn't sound human. I don't know what it is."

Without warning, a voice dropped into the minds of both Lucy and Kohta; a voice ancient as the world, yet familiar to both Lucy and Kohta. "Queen Lucy Saros, Master Kohta," the voice rumbled inside their heads, "Never fear, my friends. I have heard your wish to wed in my sacred grove to honor me. Not since the Dragon Wars have any wished to honor me in this or any way."

"Forest Spirit, is that you?" Kohta asked, totally stunned by the unexpected telepathic contact.

"Your insight serves you well, Master Kohta," the voice replied. "I am the Forest Spirit who assisted you with the Dragon Emperor. The telepathic power of both you and Queen Lucy have reached out through time and space with your wish to me in my sacred lands; a wish that is uncharacteristic of your kind in this day. I am deeply honored that you want to wed in my forest sanctuary. It was the last thing I expected from the two of you."

"Will you allow us to wed at the sacred grove and pool where Izanami and Rayden fished with your blessing?" Lucy asked solemnly. "We will abide by any restrictions you put on us."

"Yes, milady," the Forest Spirit declared. "You may have your wedding at my sacred grove and pool. Bring only those closest to you to witness this union. Captain Fargo is welcome to perform the ceremony. Honor the sacred nature of the place and you will have my blessing on your union."

"Thank you, Forest Spirit," Lucy cried joyously, overcome with a happiness she couldn't contain. "You don't know what this means to us. We will honor you in every way. That's a promise."

"You are most welcome," the Forest Spirit replied. "But I would suggest that you hurry for the weather is about to become most unwelcome in the forest. You have two days before my elemental brethren bury the highlands of Hokkaido in snow."

"We will get there as soon as we can," Kohta stated. "I look forward to seeing your sacred grove again. It was one of the few places I felt at home. Lucy will agree with me on this."

"I know," the Forest Spirit answered. "Now I must leave you. Remember, you have two days before the weather turns against you and prevents you from reaching the sacred grove." With that, the Forest Spirit's telepathic contact ceased, causing both Lucy and Kohta to slump back into their deck chairs.

"Damn," Kohta cried in exhausted astonishment. "I had no idea that we could talk telepathically to the Forest Spirit over such a distance."

"Me neither," Lucy stated as she grabbed Kohta's hand. "But it just goes to show that we're still discovering the extent of our powers. But it may also be that the Forest Spirit has a strong telepathic ability as well and sensed our request. Whatever the reason, I'm glad he agreed. I really couldn't see having the wedding anywhere else."

Kohta smiled warmly at Lucy. "Me neither. Besides, I want to go back there. It was so peaceful there. I know it would be a good place for some of our R&R."

"I hear you," Lucy chimed. "We need to tell Fargo where we want to have the wedding."

"Let's go tell him now," Kohta stated, getting up. "The sooner we do, the sooner we can be officially married. I'm sure Nana and Mayu are going to be overjoyed by this."

"What about Yuka," Lucy asked as Kohta helped her up. "She still has a thing for you, even though she's in love with Rayden."

"Don't worry about it," Kohta stated. "I think Yuka has learned her lesson about being jealous of me. Rayden is her man now and that's the way it should be." He led Lucy back into the Chimera, finding Fargo in the officer's lounge. After a brief explanation of where Lucy and Kohta wanted to have the ceremony and who would come, Fargo agreed to it.

"It doesn't give us much time," Fargo stated, "but that's nothing new. I can have everything ready in twelve hours. Will that do?"

"That'll be just fine," Kohta replied. "Do you have anything appropriate for us to wear? It's not like we can just go out and buy a tuxedo or a wedding dress."

"Don't you worry about it, Master Kohta," Fargo chimed. "This ship was designed and equipped to be completely independent of the world, which means we have clothing for every occasion, even weddings. We'll get you decked out properly for this joyous occasion."

"Thank you, Captain," Lucy said softly. "I really appreciate you doing this for us."

"The honor is all mine," Fargo stated, flashing a broad smile. "It isn't every day that we get to see the wedding of a Queen and King of the diclonius. I promise it will be a memorable one."

The intercom buzzed and Fargo answered it. "Fargo here; what is it?"

"Captain," Chris answered through the speaker, "Emperor Watanabe wishes to speak to Queen Lucy and Master Kohta. It has something to do with the Emperor talking to what was left of his people."

Lucy frowned at the request. "Something has gone wrong. I know it," she growled.

"Don't be so pessimistic, Lucy," Kohta replied. "We don't know anything yet. Maybe the Emperor just wants to confirm some elements of the deal he made with us."

"I hope so," Lucy stated glumly. "I'm getting really tired of dealing with these people."

"Will you see him, milady?" Fargo asked Lucy.

With a sigh, she said, "I guess so. He is one of the nicer people we've had to deal with."

Fargo pressed the button on the intercom; "Lucy will see him. We're in the Officer's Lounge."

"He'll be right over," Chris replied.

"Master Kohta is right, milady," Fargo stated, opening the bulkhead doors to the outside viewport on the Chimera…letting in the view of the sea around the vessel. "Not every interaction with the human population will result in bad news or betrayals. We must wait and see what news Watanabe has for us. He's spent every moment since his deal with you tracing down and communicating with the remnants of his people. He's been at it for over five hours. Who knows? It may be good news."

"It is," Watanabe called out, overhearing Fargo's last comment as he and Saito entered the Officer's Lounge. Watanabe and Saito bowed formally to Lucy and Kohta. "Thank you for seeing me, Miss Lucy. I have news that may brighten your current mood," Watanabe stated.

Kohta returned the bow and Lucy nodded to them. "Seeing the smile on your face, I can only assume that you have something we can work with, your highness," Kohta suggested.

Watanabe and Saito walked over to Lucy and Kohta and stood in front of them. Kohta noticed a plain folder in Saito's hand as he walked up. "It is, Master Kohta," Saito stated. "It seems that once the scattered remnants of the Japanese people found out that the Emperor had survived the destruction, they immediately rallied to his call. They have accepted his position as their leader."

"Moreover," Watanabe intruded, "the people who survived did so because of diclonius assistance. Apparently, there were more of your people helping to protect the Japanese people than we realized. When I offered your proposal to them, they agreed to it on the condition that I and Saito remain the mediators between them and you. They're wary of the diclonius because of the power they have and seen demonstrated, but the people know that without the diclonius assistance, they would have perished. For that reason, they have asked that I act as mediator between you and them. When they heard about your wanting Hokkaido because it was the ancestral diclonius homeland, some were okay with it while others hesitated. Even though your people helped pull my people through this calamity, not all of my people trust you or your people. They worry about a repeat of history where the diclonius may rampage again and will not stay anywhere close to the diclonius." Lucy frowned at the comment. "But," Watanabe added quickly, "they do realize that peace can be had between us. These people don't want to rob you of a peaceful sanctuary, but at the same time, they don't want to be near what they consider a potentially dangerous people."

"How many of your people feel this way?" Kohta asked.

"Approximately a third of the Japanese people feel this way," Watanabe stated, "about 10,000 of them. But you must not misinterpret what I'm saying. These people have seen the diclonius both rampage against them and act to save them, sometimes seeing one group of diclonius protecting humans from another group of deranged diclonius. They have seen the power your people possess and have seen the transformation to good that occurred after Calidor's defeat. These people are just as grateful for your help, but just don't feel safe being around diclonius. I can't really blame them for feeling that way."

"Do they want me to have a place in Hokkaido?" Lucy asked bluntly.

"Once it was explained to them what you wanted, this third agreed to let you have what you want," Watanabe declared. "But they won't stay within your domain. All they asked is that those who have possessions within your domain on Hokkaido be allowed to get their belongings without being harassed."

"I said I would do that," Lucy replied bluntly. "They have nothing to fear from us now. What about the other two-thirds of what's left of your people? What do they say?"

Watanabe smiled warmly. "The other two-thirds of my people, which number about 20,000, have apparently formed friendships with the diclonius who helped save them. They accepted your terms without condition and will live in peace with you and your people not just on Hokkaido, but wherever the diclonius live in Japan. When it came right down to it, everyone decided to let me make the final decision and would abide by it. So, milady; the highlands of Hokkaido are now your domain, as you requested along with everything north of a line from Shizunai on the southern coast to Mashike on the west coast of Hokkaido to be part of the settlement area for your people. This is what my people agreed to. I know that the line is farther north than you asked, but this gives my people a buffer zone outside of Sapporo. It also leaves the Daisetzuzan National Park where your ancestral home is deep within your domain and gives your people a solid two-thirds of the island on which to settle in peace with the human population who agrees to live in your area. I hope I wasn't too forward in setting the boundary. I'm just looking out for my people."

"I know you are," Kohta chimed, pleased with the agreement, "and I can see your reasoning for having a buffer zone between us and those who don't want to be close to us."

Lucy stared at Watanabe with a stern, cold expression. "You took a great gamble by setting the line without my asking me first."

A very concerned look crossed Watanabe's face. "Forgive me, your highness," he apologized instantly. "I only meant to expedite our agreement so you can settle as soon as possible. Winter is coming quickly to Hokkaido and I thought that getting the deal done with just a minor modification of the geographic boundary between my people and yours would help both our causes."

Lucy's stern, cold expression melted into a warm smile. "It shows initiative and a concern for not just your people, but mine too," Lucy stated. "I like that. The boundary line your people suggested is fine. Hokkaido is a big island, big enough for us both to start over on." Lucy abruptly bowed to Watanabe in a formal manner. "You have honored me and your people with your negotiations. Thank you. We have an accord, Emperor Watanabe. Would you care to have this in writing?"

"Only if it suits you, Miss Lucy," Watanabe stated. "In fact, I had Saito take the liberty to write up the treaty as we understand it before we came in here. It has everything we discussed in our deliberations up until now. My people have seen the document and ratified it. Now if you would care to read it first, we can place our signatures side by side and make this an official treaty."

Saito opened the folder, showing the treaty on official Japanese government stationery. As he took it out, Lucy stated, "Just read it, Saito."

"Very well milady," Saito stated as he focused on the three page treaty. Lucy stood there with her arms folded and Kohta leaned against the table as Saito cleared his throat. "A treaty between Queen Lucy Saros of the Diclonius and the people of Japan," Saito stated. With that, he read the treaty slowly, making sure that Lucy and Kohta heard and understood every detail, which included an alliance between Lucy and the Japanese people. Fifteen minutes later, Saito finished reading the document, sitting it on the table that Kohta leaned against. "That's everything, Lucy. Is it sufficient? Do we need to add anything or remove anything?"

Lucy shook her head. "No Saito," she said; pleased at what she heard. "It's perfect just as it is. So what's next?"

"We sign it," Watanabe declared. "I'll sign it first and then you and Master Kohta will sign it. Then Captain Fargo and Saito will sign it as witnesses to the treaty. Once it's signed, we will have an official alliance." Watanabe took a pen out of his pocket and signed the treaty with a flourish of pen-strokes. Handing the pen to Lucy, he said, "Your turn, milady. Let's take the first step to peace between our peoples."

Lucy took the pen and signed the treaty with _Kaeda Lucy Saros, Queen of the Diclonius worldwide and friend of the Earth._ Handing the pen to Kohta, she said, "Okay Kohta, your turn."

Kohta signed his name _Master Kohta Saros, King of the Diclonius worldwide, friend of the downtrodden and of the Earth_. "There," he murmured. "This is my first treaty and hopefully, not my last."

When everyone noticed how he signed his name, Fargo asked, "Master Kohta, why did you use Lucy's last name as yours?"

"I did it because of Lucy's blood," Kohta stated. "She gave me so much of her blood that I am as much her as I am me. That blood made me her family. It's only fitting that I use her last name on this treaty."

"Oh," Fargo replied softly, "just asking." He signed the treaty next as a witness followed by Saito.

When Saito finished signing the treaty, he handed the document to Lucy with a bow. "It is done, milady," he said formally. "You and the diclonius are now officially allied with the remnants of the Japanese people and Emperor Watanabe."

Lucy scanned the document, feeling a sudden chill race down her spine. "Never in my wildest dreams did I ever believe I would make a treaty with humans that would better both our races. But now for the first time in my life, I have a home…a real home." She handed the treaty to Fargo and ordered, "Make a copy of this for me and give the original to the Emperor."

"Right away," Fargo chimed, hurrying out of the Officer's Lounge on a mission.

"Do you regret what you've done, milady?" Watanabe asked.

"No," Lucy murmured. "You have shown that I can trust you, Mr. Watanabe. I'm glad we could come to an agreement. Now comes the hard part: making it the treaty work."

"That's so true," Watanabe answered. "But we have a world to rebuild, and as you so keenly pointed out, the best place to start is right here in our own home. Now we can make the world the way it should be."

"I hear you," Kohta agreed.

"Emperor," Saito said, "Now that the treaty is signed, why not show Lucy the bonus you wanted to give her in exchange for the treaty."

"Ah, right," Watanabe stated. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key and a small envelope. "This is the gift of the Japanese people to you and Master Kohta personally for saving them from annihilation, milady."

A puzzled look crossed Lucy's face as she accepted the key and envelope. "What's this?" she asked.

"Open the envelope and you will see," Watanabe declared.

Kohta hovered beside Lucy, watching as she opened the envelope and pulled out its contents. Unfolding the paper, shock covered Lucy's face, followed by tears. "Oh Mr. Watanabe…this is so…I can't accept this without giving you something in return."

Kohta stared in disbelief at the deed and a picture of the spa they passed going to Rayden's home. "Let me see that, Lucy," he requested. She handed it to him and he looked intensely at the documents. Disbelief turned to shock. "Lucy," he whispered, "There's more here than just the spa. This is the deed for the entire national park you wanted. The Emperor is giving it to us, lock, stock, and barrel."

"But milady," Watanabe replied softly, "you have given us something in return, something that far outweighs the value of that property on the open market."

"And what is that," Lucy asked.

"You have given us our lives and a chance to rebuild our world the way it should be," Watanabe stated. "I put it to everyone I talked to and they all agreed you should have that land and spa as payment for what you did to save us all. Even those who fear you wanted you to have it. It is the gift of my people to you for saving them from annihilation. That property will be your own personal refuge that will not be taxed by us or anyone else. Consider it your own country…a gift from the nation of Japan."

Tears rose in Lucy's eyes and sobs of gratitude bubbled out. She gently embraced the elderly Watanabe. "Thank you, my friend. Now I really have a place I can call home. I shall not forget this kindness you've shown me."

"You are most welcome, my dear," Watanabe replied, returning the embrace. "I have looked at you as a troubled daughter from the moment I laid eyes on you. You save me and my people from a doom that could only described as apocalyptic. I and my people are forever in your debt for showing us the way out of darkness. That key is the main key to the spa we passed on the way to the sacred grove and Rayden's home. Until you find where you want to settle, use it as your home."

Lucy looked at the key and kissed Watanabe on the cheek. "You're welcome at my home anytime, my friend."

"I knew you'd like it," Saito chimed. "It's the very place you sought so desperately to find and cling to once you found it. At this point, national parks like that one are a moot construction of a lost world. I was very fortunate to find a copy of the deed to the park at that spa in its records vault. Now it all belongs to you, just as the treaty stipulates. I hope you will be happy there."

"I hope so too," Lucy answered, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Finally, we have a place where we can live in peace."

Fargo entered with copies of the treaty. He saw Kohta folding up a document and putting it in an envelope upon entering. "That is something good, I hope," Fargo stated.

"It is," Kohta replied. "The Emperor just handed us the deed to the Daisetsuzan National Park and the keys to the spa we passed on the way to Rayden's home as a peace offering. That land is now officially the first diclonius country. The Emperor said we could use the spa we passed as our home until we decided what we wanted to do there."

"Splendid," Fargo crowed. "It seems things are finally starting to fall into place for you and Lucy. You have my full support and the support of every person on this ship. Now, here is your copy of the treaty." He started to hand the copy of the treaty to Kohta when Watanabe intruded.

"Captain, please give Miss Lucy and Master Kohta the original," Watanabe ordered. "I will take the copy."

"Very well, your majesty," Fargo answered, handing the original treaty to Kohta and the copy to Watanabe. "Just for future reference, a digital copy of the treaty is in the ship's computer and copies can be printed or sent digitally at will to whoever wants it."

"That's a good idea," Saito stated. "Your computer systems are isolated and heavily protected from outside influences. It should be safe here."

"This is a masterful copy, captain," Watanabe commented, noticing the extremely high quality of the replica of the treaty. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, your highness," Fargo said with a smile. "We always do top-quality work on the Chimera, whatever it is."

"I have seen that," Watanabe replied. "It's a good thing."

"If that is all you need me for, I have to make preparations for Master Kohta's and Queen Lucy's wedding," Fargo stated, "If you all will excuse me."

"By all means," Lucy answered. "Don't let us hold you up." She handed the key to the spa to Fargo and added, "You can use the spa as a forwarding area for the wedding. Just know that Kohta and I are going to make it our home for the time being."

"Say no more, milady," Fargo said, taking the key from her. "We will secure the spa and start setting up a home for you as we prepare for the wedding."

"Thanks," Lucy replied, kissing Fargo on the cheek.

He smiled. "You're very welcome." Fargo bowed and left on a mission.

"You and Master Kohta are going to wed?" Watanabe asked, surprised by the news. "When are you going to do it?"

"If everything goes well," Kohta stated, "and nothing else screws up our plans, we will get married at the sacred grove of the Forest Spirit in roughly twelve hours. We hope to do it there before a real nasty winter front slams Hokkaido. I would be honored if you would witness our marriage, since you are now a head of state." Kohta suddenly looked at Lucy, adding "That is if Lucy says it's okay."

"It's fine with me," Lucy murmured. "Both of them can come; after all, they have been with us through the worst of Calidor's madness, so I feel they deserve to see it."

"You honor us greatly by allowing us to witness your marriage to Master Kohta," Watanabe stated. "I will attend this most joyous occasion as not as a representative of the Japanese people, but as your friend. The ability to call you friend is an honor I will not give up under any circumstances. You have my congratulations and blessing on your upcoming union. I pray to the gods that you will find the peace you so covet in the sanctuary we gave you without condition."

Saito walked over and put his arms around both Kohta and Lucy. "This is truly a blessed event. I wish you all the happiness and peace in your lives together. May your family finally be at peace after everything that you've endured. You deserve it. And if you need anything of me, just ask. I'm here as your friend to help in any way I can."

"Thanks, Saito," Kohta replied, "though you may regret that boast eventually."

Saito laughed, seeing Kohta's sarcastic barb. "We shall see, my friend. We shall see."

Lucy kissed Saito on the cheek. "That is for all your help. Know that I only kiss people I completely trust. You and Mr. Watanabe have earned my trust through everything you've done for me and Kohta. I am fortunate to have such a good friend after a lifetime of seeing nothing but enemies around me."

"Thank you, milady," Saito replied softly, touched by her gesture. "I will not betray your trust. I'd sooner go to my grave than turn against you. You have my life anytime you need it."

"I know you won't," Lucy stated, "my friend."

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A/N: Looks like things are finally starting to click for Lucy and Kohta. What began as a case of flu for Lucy reveals that she's expecting twins and Kohta is the father. Furthermore, the attack on Tao's sanctuary has led to a solidification of the treaty between Lucy and the Chinese government. Emperor Watanabe cement the treaty between the remnants of the Japanese people and Lucy with a written accord that gives her everything she wanted, including the deed to the national park that she wanted for her private sanctuary. Then to top it off, she gets permission from the Forest Spirit to have her wedding to Kohta in the Forest Spirit's sacred grove. After a life time of hell, things are finally starting to swing in Lucy's and Kohta's favor. But will this streak of good fortune continue or will the rogue factions who seek to destroy the diclonius interfere with their peace. Read on to find out. The end of the epic is here.

As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	45. Chapter 45 Marriage of the Age

Chapter 45

The Marriage of the Age

Bandoh stood on a ridge just west of what used to be Kamakura, scanning the horizon. His anger simmered at what he saw: a smoldering ruined city as far as his eye could see with a deadly poisonous haze hovering over those ruins. "What a fucking waste," he growled, turning his eye in the direction of the bay where the Institute once stood. Only a small fused outcropping of rock that barely stood above the waves remained of the island as a silent testimony and marker to the evil that Kakuzawa unwittingly released into the world. "If that bastard Kakuzawa only knew what his actions would trigger, he may have never gone down that path," Bandoh muttered. "Now the world is forever scarred by his goddamned arrogance and evil. Good riddance to the fucker and that goddamned Calidor he released."

Bandoh's hybrid diclonius telepathy prodded his consciousness causing him to look north. "Ahhh, so that's where you went, Miss Queen Bitch of the Universe," he chimed sarcastically, sensing Lucy far to the north. "Our paths will cross again. That's a promise. You and your damned family cannot hide from me forever. We will meet again and our unfinished business will be attended to." Bandoh continued to look north across the Kamakura wasteland towards Tokyo. "Hmm, I'll have to go around this dead zone if I wish to live another day," he mumbled, heading westward to bypass the dead zone. "I'm coming, Lucy, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Meanwhile on Hokkaido, Fargo led Lucy and Kohta into the spa complex followed by Mayu, Nana, Yuka, Rayden, and Myra. Dozens of diclonius and human crewmembers from the Chimera moved with purpose, checking out the building and securing it as they set up living quarters for Lucy and her new family in the facility. Fargo stopped in the main lobby and gestured around him. "Welcome to your new home," he chimed. "I hope it meets with your approval."

Mayu's eyes grew wide with surprise and delight. "You mean we are going to live here now and not on the ship?" she asked.

"Yes Mayu," Kohta answered. "This is our new home." He paused while looking around, and then added, "It reminds me of Kaeda House, only bigger. As strange as it sounds, I feel like I've finally come home."

"Wow," Nana murmured. "This place is so big. Are you sure it's okay if we live here?"

"Yes Nana," Lucy stated. "We now own this place. Emperor Watanabe gave this place and all the land inside the park to us. We finally have a true home."

"This place is so ornate," Yuka commented. "It's nothing like Kaeda House. But I'm actually glad it doesn't look like Kaeda House. As much as loved it, Kaeda House holds some very bad memories for me. Maybe here we can start over. Captain Fargo, are we going to be alone up here?"

"No Yuka," Fargo stated. "You will not be alone. There are a number of humans and diclonius who wish to live in close proximity to Lucy and your family to protect you as best as they can. They love you dearly and want to be sure your family has the peace it finally deserves."

"So you intend to set up a village here," Rayden stated.

"Yes," Fargo declared, "That is if Lucy will allow us to. Everyone knows Lucy needs some space so we're going to give her that. The village we're planning is going to be about a half a kilometer down the mountain from here; an easy walk from here so you can have some social interaction while giving Lucy a refuge from the world. I know you have been very uncomfortable in the cramped confines of the Chimera. This is to make up for it."

"I appreciate it," Lucy replied. "Having a little community just down the hill from here is not a bad idea. It'll serve as a supply point for us as well as a buffer against the outside world. As fine as this place is, at some point, I'll build my own personal sanctuary up the mountain close to Rayden's parent's home if the Forest Spirit allows me. But that is a little ways off right now." She looked around at the lobby of the spa and announced, "For now, this place will do just fine. As Yuka pointed out, it is a bit more ornate than I expected or like, but it will do well for our new home. It beats the hell out of what I've had up until now."

"A new home for a new beginning," Kohta announced. "It's only right we start over here."

"Captain Fargo," Myra called out, "what about the security arrangements around this facility? How do you plan on dealing with it? There are still many humans who still want Lucy and her family dead. Do you have a plan on keeping her safe?"

"Is that your military training I hear coming out again, Myra?" Kohta asked.

"It is, Master Kohta," Myra replied. "I have been with you pretty much from the beginning and I have come to love you, Lucy, Yuka, Mayu, and Nana as my own family. I'd hate to see you lose the ring of peace you fought the universe to achieve because of a lack of security. We still live in a very dangerous world and a good number of the governments of the world would want nothing better than to wipe you and Lucy out with a surgical strike." Myra sighed deeply and added, "All I'm asking is that you continue to exercise the caution that has kept you alive up until now."

Lucy walked up to Myra and put her hand on Myra's shoulder. "You have a keen insight into things human that I don't, Myra. I also owe you my life and Kohta's life. Thank you for everything you've done. We'll be sure to keep our guard up. It's in my nature. I'm also sure you'll see to it since you're part of our family now. I see you as the aunt I never had. Thank you." She gently embraced Myra, who returned the hug.

"I knew you were a good person from the moment I first saw you, Lucy," Myra stated. "But like everyone here, myself included, you were given a shitty hand from the beginning. Yet you turned that terrible hand into a winning one when you refused to give up despite of everything trying to get you to give up. It's the mark of a true queen. You have my love and loyalty until the day I die; that's a promise sworn on your Collective and upon the Nexus of all Realities. I, like you, now have a family that I didn't before. Thank you for showing this humble human woman that there is something greater than hate and death in this world."

Myra's words struck Lucy into her soul. In a shaky voice, she replied, "I had no idea that you saw me like that. I don't know what to say."

"You're welcome is the customary thing to say," Kohta stated. "She has earned her place with us and you know it."

"Then you're welcome," Lucy whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Myra hugged Lucy briefly, and then looked her in the eye. "It's okay to let your emotions out once in a while, Lucy. It's how we know we're human. Now, we have a wedding to prepare and we need to get you ready. Isn't that right, everyone?"

Mayu, Nana, Yuka, Rayden, Kohta, and Fargo all chimed in agreement. "Before we prepare you and Master Kohta for the wedding, let me give you the nickel tour of your new home," Fargo announced.

Lucy wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "Lead on, my good captain." With that, Fargo led the group through the facility, which was being refurbished to serve as a residence by the workers from the Chimera. Once the tour ended, Lucy asked Fargo "How much time do we have left before the snow arrives, captain? We need at least two hours to get to the sacred grove and two hours to get back."

Fargo looked at his watch. "We're still on schedule. We have five hours plus. It seems from my last look at the weather, the front appears to be stalling just west of Hokkaido. Maybe the Forest Spirit's brothers are slowing down the system for us, but I'm not sure that's why. In any case, we have a window of at least five hours; plenty of time for us to perform the ceremony and get off the mountain. Ron will keep me abreast of any changes in the weather. Now, let's get you and Master Kohta ready. I can't wait to do the ceremony at the sacred grove. I feel it's such an honor to be allowed to conduct such a joyous ritual in so sacred a place. Come. Rayden…you and Yuka come with me and Master Kohta to the men's spa room to prepare him. Mayu, Nana, go with Myra and Lucy to the new master bedroom to get her ready. Everything you need is waiting there." When everyone hesitated, Fargo clapped his hands softly, saying "Come now…let's do it; this way, Master Kohta." Kohta, Yuka, and Rayden followed Fargo to the left while Myra, Lucy, Mayu, and Nana went to the right, heading to the master bedroom to prepare Lucy.

Forty-five minutes later, Fargo stood in the lobby with Kohta, Yuka, and Rayden waiting for Lucy. Kohta sported a tailor-made tan tuxedo without the tie. Yuka stood with him in a soft jade-colored dress that accentuated her features. Rayden had a black tuxedo without the tie, and Fargo sported his dress uniform. Rayden held three heavy coats: one for Yuka, one for Kohta, and one for himself. Yuka smiled warmly at Kohta as she fussed over him, making sure everything was perfect. "Yuka…stop it," Kohta whined. "I'm not a little kid anymore."

"Oh shut up, Kohta," Yuka replied sharply. "I don't get to marry you. At least you can let me make sure you look your best for Lucy. This is a big day for both of you, you know."

"She does have a point, Master Kohta," Fargo stated. "She's your cousin, after all."

"Okay, okay," Kohta said with a sigh. "Am I presentable now, Yuka?"

Yuka moved one last hair and said "There; now you look like the king I wanted to marry. It's a shame we can't do anything about the scar."

"Are you still holding on to that, Yuka?" Kohta asked pointedly. "You know that Rayden is your soul mate. Don't do anything that will cause you to lose him."

"Never fear, Master Kohta," Rayden stated with a smile. "I'm not jealous of how she treats you. You two are, after all, Gemini twins, or have you forgotten."

Kohta gasped, having forgotten about Yuka being his Gemini. A smile crossed his lips. "You are so right, Rayden. I'd almost forgotten about that. I'm sorry I snapped at you, Yuka. Forgive me?"

Yuka playfully patted him on the cheek. "Yes, Kohta…but don't let it happen again. I may not be as forgiving as I am today."

"Deal," Kohta replied, hugging Yuka briefly. When he noticed she enjoyed his embrace, he added, "Anytime you want a hug from me, just ask. I love you, Yuka. You're my Gemini and I will always love you, no matter what."

"I know," Yuka answered as she returned the embrace. "Just keep the romantic stuff with Lucy to a minimum while I'm in the room, okay?"

"Of course," Kohta said as he let go of Yuka. "It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back," Yuka declared, stepping back to stand beside Rayden. She noticed a crowd gathering. "Oh…it looks like the wedding guests are gathering. I see Emperor Watanabe and Saito. Mr. Watanabe, how are you this fine day?"

"I'm doing very well, Miss Yuka," Watanabe stated. "You look like you're well on the mend from your ordeal. How do you like your new home? It was a gift from the Japanese people for saving them from annihilation."

"It's spectacular," Yuka answered, "a bit more ornate than I'm used to, but it'll do. Besides, I owe Kohta and Lucy just as much as your people do. I hope I can repay them for what they did for me some day."

"You don't need to repay them anything," Watanabe said. "You're Master Kohta's only blood kin from before the disaster. I watched him march into hell to save you. It was his only thought to keep you safe. He loves you more than you'll ever know so you owe him nothing except your love."

"I know," Yuka stated, noticing Charlene approaching wearing a maroon dress with a heavy gray overcoat and Bruce on her right arm wearing a gray suit.

"Hi Yuka," Charlene chimed pleasantly. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm doing very well, Charlene," Yuka answered. "And you?"

"Good, very good as a matter of fact," Charlene stated, "though all the excitement about the wedding has me kind of wired."

"Me too," Yuka said with a smile. Her face turned sober as she asked "Can I ask you something, Charlene?"

"Sure Yuka," Charlene replied.

"Some things are still a bit fuzzy from my time in, well you know," Yuka murmured.

"What do you want to know?" Charlene asked. "If I know the answer, I'll tell you."

"Did Kagami really stay by my side the whole time I was out?" Yuka asked.

"I can't really tell you about before I arrived," Charlene stated, "but when I joined the group, I noticed that Kagami took special care of you, hardly ever leaving your side for more than a few minutes. I've never seen such care and devotion in a person like that. She took care of you, at least when I was around, like you were her own daughter or sister. It may have to do with you and her being cousins. When she lost her father Akira, she bonded with you even deeper. I've never seen anyone care that much for someone. You should feel privileged to have such a friend."

"I am," Yuka stated. "I just wanted to verify how I was treated while out of commission. Being caught in that monster's trap for so long kind of made me a bit cautious and wary about what people say to me."

"I can understand that better than you know," Charlene stated. "There was a time when I was young before I conquered my Fury that the darkness robbed me of everything. But Akira found me and taught me a better way. I miss him."

"So do I," Yuka answered, noticing Aiko limping towards her, leaning on a cane. "Did Kagami take care of Aiko too?"

"Absolutely," Charlene stated as Aiko stopped beside her. "Kagami took good care of you, didn't she Aiko?"

"She sure did," Aiko chimed. "Without her care, I wouldn't be alive to see my best friend get married today. Lucy is my best friend, you know."

"I know," Charlene replied. "By the way, is that limp getting any better?"

"It's improving a little each day," Aiko answered. "I'm using the cane since we're going into the forest. I don't want to stumble."

"I hear you," Charlene said pleasantly. "Aiko, you remember Yuka, don't you?"

"Of course," Aiko beamed. "I'm so glad you didn't die, Yuka. You have your whole life in front of you."

"I do now," Yuka stated. Turning to Charlene, she said "Thank you for telling me. I do appreciate it. When Kagami gets back, I'll have to thank her. She's my cousin, after all."

"Oh, you and Kagami are cousins?" Aiko asked, surprised by the news.

"Apparently," Yuka stated. "I had to hear it from Charlene before I could truly accept it. I guess it's a side effect of what happened to me."

"Say no more, Yuka," Aiko said softly. "I understand and would probably do the same if I were in your place."

"Thanks," Yuka replied. Before she could continue, another entry to the room drew everyone's attention: that of Lucy followed by Myra, Mayu, and Nana. Yuka's eyes grew wide as she saw the beautiful wedding dress Lucy wore. The pure white wedding dress was modest and appropriate for where they were heading. It was a sleeved dress that covered her from the shoulder to her ankles with the sleeves reaching down to just above her wrists. The material formed to her frame perfectly down to her waist and the skirt hung loosely covering her legs. The lace and embroidery on the gown was exquisite. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail and a matching belt wrapped her waist. She held the carefully folded veil in her hand. Lucy stopped a few steps away from Kohta with her entourage. A gasp escaped Yuka's lips. "Oh my goodness…what a beautiful dress!" she cried, noticing not only that Myra, Mayu, and Nana were appropriately dressed, but that Myra carried Lucy's coat.

"In the West, they say it's bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony," Fargo declared. "But we are not in the West. We're in the Far East, and western rules no longer apply in this new world. Besides, it's unavoidable to keep them apart because the two of them must lead us to the sacred grove." Fargo put his arm around Kohta and gestured to Lucy as she stood looking at him with a meek, hesitant expression. "Master Kohta, here's your bride, Queen Lucy of the Diclonius." After a pause, he added with some humor "She sure does clean up well, doesn't she, Master Kohta?"

Kohta laughed at the comment, which sparked the entire group to join in. Lucy, seeing that the humor was in praise of her and not to belittle her, laughed along, and then added sarcastically "I sure do clean up well, Captain. That's more than I can say for you."

"Touché, milady," Fargo crowed. "I deserved that."

As the laughter died down, Kohta walked to Lucy with a look of utter adoration on his face. Scanning her from head to toe, he suddenly bowed to her and stated "Permit me to bow to you, Lucy; a goddess who enchanted me from the moment I first met you, and now blinds me with your radiance. You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful being I've ever laid eyes on in my whole life."

Lucy suddenly choked at Kohta's declaration. Her complexion paled and she swayed on her feet, becoming light-headed. Kohta sensed the reaction and rushed to her, putting his arms around her to steady her. "Kaeda, Nyu," he said, feeling Kaeda and Nyu rising to the surface like in the days before she healed her wounded psyche, "…help her deal with my declaration. It's okay to accept it. Lucy, don't back away from my love. Take it and be one with it. Our love saved the world. Now let it save you and drive the remaining darkness away."

The spa lobby became quiet as a tomb while Kohta dealt with Lucy's reaction to his love of her. After a few moments, Lucy's complexion brightened as the blood returned to her face. The far look she had in her eye vanished, becoming focused as Lucy found strength in her legs again. Gazing into Kohta's eyes, she said "Thank you for bringing me out of that, Kohta. You caught me so off-guard that I didn't know how to deal with it. Did you really mean what you said about me being beautiful?"

"Every word, Lucy," Kohta replied, "You are my life in whom I owe everything. You are the most exquisite creature to ever grace the face of this earth. I am honored to be your King and husband…well your husband once we've been officially married. Are you ready to do this?"

Lucy straightened up, standing solidly on her feet. "Yes, Kohta; I am."

"Is everyone here, captain?" Kohta asked, turning to Fargo.

Fargo did a quick head count and announced "Everyone you wanted his here except for Captain Guildo, Kagami, Tao, and Li Mei. They haven't returned from their mission yet."

"Is everything going okay with them?" Kohta queried.

"From my last report, they had just taken off with thirty survivors and are heading back this way," Fargo informed everyone. "Barring something unforeseen, they should return to the Chimera in five hours."

"When they return, send them to me," Lucy ordered. "We'll be staying here tonight."

"As you wish, milady," Fargo replied. "Now shall we go? I don't know how much longer the weather will hold."

"Yes captain," Lucy said. "Okay everyone; follow us to a place that has been unsoiled by the hate of human greed and arrogance for thousands of years." Everyone donned their winter gear and followed Lucy and Kohta out of the spa, heading up the mountain to the sacred grove.

Two hours later, Lucy and Kohta led them over the final ridge into the sacred grove of the Forest Spirit. As they descended toward the pool, a hush came over the group. A smile crossed Kohta's lips as he took Lucy's hand while they walked. "I don't think I'll ever get used to the purity I feel here," Kohta declared. "It's like this place is the definition of innocence."

"That it is," Lucy agreed.

"This place is amazing no matter how many times I see it," Fargo admitted. "It's like a glimpse of the world as it should be."

A smile crossed Yuka's face as she put her arm around Rayden, leaning into his embrace. "This place is like a fairy tale, Rayden," Yuka murmured. "Just being here seems to drive away all feelings of anger, hate, and darkness. I feel so at peace."

"So do I," Rayden replied as everyone stopped by the main pool, "I think that's why I so enjoyed fishing here as a child."

"What a serene place," Elle Eldritch commented. "I never thought I'd see such a place untainted by the evils of the modern age. It's truly a magical place."

Lucy and Kohta looked around for the Forest Spirit and the forest guardian, Tora. "Where are they…the Forest Spirit, and the tiger?" Lucy asked. "I was sure they'd be here when we arrived."

"Maybe they are, Lucy," Rayden suggested. "Maybe they are just staying in the background so as to not interfere with the wedding."

"Could be," Kohta answered. "If that's the case, then we should go on and get started. What do you think, captain?"

"Absolutely," Fargo replied. "We have a narrowing window of opportunity because of the incoming weather. Okay Lucy, where do you want to do this?"

Lucy looked around and pointed to the edge of the waterfall. "Over here. Let's do it here with you standing beside the falls in front of the cliff."

"Very well," Fargo replied, moving to the rock wall where the cascade of water dropped into the pool. Turning his back to the falls and pool, he called out, "Okay everyone; find your places." Within seconds, Lucy donned her veil and stood before Fargo with Kohta. Mayu, Nana, Yuka, Rayden, Myra, Aiko, Charlene, and Bruce stood immediately behind Lucy and Kohta. Emperor Watanabe, Saito, Suko Arakawa, Draco, Elle Eldritch, Dr. Ravenclaw, Susan, Doug, Sen Osabi, Cai, Kaya, and two people unknown to Lucy or Kohta made a perimeter behind the first line. The two humans Lucy didn't recognize immediately caught her attention as they fell into line.

"Wait a second," Lucy said. "There's someone here I don't know." She pointed to the two unknown humans: a man and woman, ordering "You two…come here." Fear swept their faces and when they hesitated, Lucy reached out with her vectors, gently picked them up and brought them forward, saying sternly, "Now. I will not have my wedding sullied by potential enemies." Sitting them down in front of her and the whole group, Lucy demanded, "Who are you and why are you here?"

The man and woman were speechless, trembling with fear; something Kohta instantly noticed. "Let me handle this, Lucy," he suggested. Lucy nodded and Kohta stepped in front of the pair with a warm smile. "Please, don't be afraid," he assured them. "We aren't going to hurt you. If we meant you harm, Lucy would have killed you the moment she saw you." The dread fear of Lucy drove the woman into the man's arms.

"Please, don't hurt us," the woman begged. "We don't mean you any harm. We saw your group walking up the mountain and decided to follow, hoping that you were friendly."

Charlene recognized the woman's voice and looked closer. She tapped Lucy on the shoulder and said, "Lucy, I know this woman. She's an inn-keeper who gave me shelter just outside of Aso. Her name is Tess."

"Is that so," Lucy replied coolly. "Then talk to her."

Charlene stepped up beside Kohta, looking the woman in the eye. A smile crossed Charlene's face as she touched Kohta on the shoulder. "I'll get this, Kohta. She's a friend." Kohta nodded and let Charlene take over the encounter.

When the woman saw Charlene, her eyes grew wide and a gasp escaped her lips. "By the gods of old," the woman breathed in astonishment. "Charlene Kusanagi…is that you?"

"Yes Tess," Charlene replied, stepping up to the woman. "It's me. I'm surprised and delighted to see you're still alive. Why did you follow us all the way up here? It's not exactly the nicest climb following us all the way up here, you know."

"We saw your group and followed hoping that you could give us sanctuary," the man declared as his fear slowly waned. "The world is not as favorable to us humans as it used to be. We were being hunted by people who hated you and your people and anyone who doesn't hate your people like they do."

"Wait," Lucy intruded. "I can discover the truth of who you are, if you will let me see your memories. If you want our protection, I have to be sure you are sincere in your intentions. I could just do it, but I'm trying to be a better person by asking first."

"You can do that?" the man asked. "I didn't know your kind could read minds. The two strange diclonius I carried to Aso just before the world exploded didn't say anything about that."

Kohta's eyebrow rose. "What's your name, friend?"

"I am Humato Shin," the man replied. "I used to drive a taxi on Kyushu. Then one evening I picked up these two people who had just arrived from Tibet and wanted to go to Aso. They said an old friend was expecting them. I left them at the inn just down the road from the shrine."

A smile crept across Kohta's face as he glanced at Lucy for a moment. "Did these two strange diclonius tell you their names, Humato Shin?" Kohta asked.

Shin rubbed his neck for a moment as he searched his memories. "Hmmm, the man called himself Tao and I believe the woman was named Li Mei," Shin declared. "I remember the man because he had this large scar on his face and emanated a weird power I couldn't understand, but could feel. The woman, on the other hand, was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life…so very exotic and she emanated the same power. It's the same power I'm feeling now all around me coming from you and these people around you. I remember them vividly because they paid me in gold asking that I forget who they were. The woman in particular stands out in my memory because she kissed me after I dropped them off at the Inn and warned me of the coming war between our peoples. Neither of them wanted me to be hurt in what was to come. I'm glad I took their advice and hunkered down at the Inn with Tess when everything went to shit."

"Will it hurt for you to look at our memories?" Tess asked hesitantly.

Lucy's cold demeanor warmed significantly. With a smile, she said "Not at all, Tess. But I have to be very careful about who I let get close to us. There are people who still want us dead, as you well know. Now will you let me see what your intentions are?"

"If it means gaining your trust, yes," Shin replied. "We've been dodging roving bands of thugs who are killing anyone who resemble diclonius or are suspected of sympathizing with them. We wouldn't have gotten this far if it weren't for a few diclonius friends we encountered along the way. They told us where we could find you. Please, give us sanctuary. It's no longer safe for people aren't filled with hate and evil."

Lucy sent two vectors into each of their minds and tested their intents without Tess or Shin even realizing it. When she retracted her vectors, Lucy announced "Relax…it's okay. I've seen what you've endured. I'm surprised that you survived it. It shows your resilience. You can stay as long as you don't mind living with my people. But you have to gain our trust. That begins now. Are you up to it?"

"Yes," Shin declared. "We have nowhere else to go. Just tell us how to gain your trust and we'll do it; won't we Tess?"

"Yes, anything," Tess agreed, "Anything to get away from those wretched evil people."

"Okay," Lucy said with a smile. "That'll do. For now stand with the others."

"What is going on here?" Tess asked. "It looks like you're getting married."

"That's exactly what's going on here," Kohta said. "Lucy and I are getting married in this sacred place. We insist that you treat this place with as much respect as you would any sacred shrine in Japan. And whatever you do, don't be afraid at what you may see out here. You are under our protection now."

"What do you mean?" Shin asked.

"You'll see," Lucy answered cryptically. "Now take your place. We've delayed the wedding long enough."

Shin and Tess moved back to the rear, standing near the Emperor. "You took a mighty gamble intruding like this on the Queen's wedding," Watanabe whispered to them. "But all is well. You have proven yourself not to be an enemy of the diclonius. Mark this moment in your memories: today you see the rise of the most powerful man and woman on this planet."

"Why do you say that?" Tess asked.

"Because Lucy is not just a queen," Watanabe replied, "but the Queen of every diclonius who has ever existed. Her power is about as close to a goddess as you will ever see. She can touch anyone on this planet at will, no matter where they are. But she doesn't want to. All she wants is to be left alone to live in peace. Now be quiet; the ceremony is about to begin."

"Oh…okay," Tess replied, in awe of Watanabe's description of Lucy.

Fargo looked over the group and said "Well, I see a disparate group here to witness the official union of Lucy and Kohta as man and wife. Mark this day down for you will not see this type of marriage again in your lifetime. With that said, let's get started." Before he could continue, a soft breeze stirred through the trees followed by a low rumbling moan. "It seems we may have some late comers to our party," Fargo declared, looking around. Upon looking across the pool, he saw an enormous creature with a huge antler rack walking towards the group. "I'll never get used to this sight," he said as the creature came into view on the far side of the pool, stopping briefly on the bank before trotting out onto the water.

"That's impossible," Suko breathed. "It's walking on top of the water."

"Nothing is impossible for the elemental Forest Spirit," a rumbling voice to their right echoed out of the forest. All eyes turned to the voice, seeing the massive forest tiger, Tora stepping into view. Suko's eyes grew wide and fear rose in her. Shin and Tess cowered around Watanabe and Saito, stunned by the appearance of the Forest Spirit and Tora. Tora stopped ten meters from the group and waited as the Forest Spirit stepped onto solid ground.

The Forest Spirit walked up to Lucy and Kohta, each step killing the vegetation and then regenerating it as it approached the couple. Bowing its head to Lucy and Kohta, the Forest Spirit said, "Welcome to the sacred grove, Queen Kaeda Lucy Saros and Master Kohta Saros. You honor me by consummating your union here. Now it is my turn to honor you and your sacrifice. Come forward, my brothers and sisters and show yourself to the Queen and her King who saved us from annihilation."

A rumble erupted from the side of the cliff behind them, drawing their attention as a four-meter tall rock elemental stepped out of the cliff. It lumbered three steps forward and stopped, bowing to Lucy and Kohta. In a deep, graveling voice that reminded Lucy and Kohta of the voice of the Spirit of the Earth in their vision, the stone man confirmed their suspicions by announcing, "I am the Spirit of the Earth, who warned you in your darkest hour of what faced you on the Island of the Collective. I am pleased that you have proven me wrong and chose a path that brings all life into harmony with me and my siblings. You have redeemed your kind from my curse. Remember your vows and us that we may keep the balance in check. You have my blessing in your union, Queen of the Dragons of Heaven and Earth. If you need my assistance, just ask." The stone elemental Spirit of the Earth stepped back and stood at attention.

"Thank you, Great Spirit of the Earth," Kohta replied. "You honor us by giving your blessing to this union."

"You have honored all elementals and spirits by choosing light and life over darkness and death," the earth elemental stated. "You have earned the right to exist by expelling the vile corruption of Calidor back into his own dimension. Now behold my brothers and sisters who wish to honor you."

The pool suddenly churned as a five-meter tall water elemental rose from its surface. It resembled an armored Izanami. When Rayden saw the form of the water elemental, his face fell with his heart as he remembered his sister. The elemental saw Rayden's reaction and asked, "Why do you grieve so, Rayden Seiyuchin? You are not permanently parted from your beloved sister. You can commune with her any time you wish through the Queen."

"I can't help it," Rayden replied. "I loved her so, yet did such great evil to her."

"Yet you have redeemed yourself by helping return Calidor to his prison," the water elemental stated. "You should not berate yourself and wallow in past misdeeds. Your soul mate stands beside you ready to help you overcome these demons, if you would but let her."

Rayden looked down at Yuka, who looked up into his eyes with a warm smile and absolute devotion to him. "I know she will," he said. "Thank you for reminding me."

"It is my pleasure," the water elemental replied. "As the Spirit of Water, it is my task to sustain life and promote healing in this world. Your Queen has given us all a chance to restore the balance of the Earth to what it needs to be. I and my stony brother have not been seen by your kind since the Dragon Age. What my brother said about you and your kind is true, great Queen. The diclonius have truly evolved and matured with you into a species that is capable of resisting the deepest darkness of Chaos wherever it resides in this universe. You have my thanks and blessing on your union with this precious young man you have chosen. May you live long and have the peace you wish for."

"Thank you," Lucy answered as the wind picked up out of nowhere. "Where did this wind come from?"

The wind began to whip as a dervish formed to their right near Tora. It grew in size, and suddenly flashed, blinding everyone momentarily. "The wind is my doing," a voice called from the midst of the light. When everyone's vision returned, they saw a three-meter tall humanoid ghost in oriental armor with two huge fans folded up in his hands. "The winds, weather, and air are my domain."

"Who are you?" Charlene asked cautiously.

"I am the Spirit of Air, Charlene Kusanagi of America," the ghost declared. "I'm the chief elemental of air with the capability to control the very air you breathe and the weather of this planet. I am here to bless the Queen's union."

Lucy was about to speak when the sacred grove shook. Next to the air elemental the ground split open releasing a small pillar of volcanic fire three meters high and two meters across. A man in red dragon-crested armor stepped from the fire, his armor glowing like a furnace. A huge flaming sword lay strapped to its back. Everyone felt the heat from this being. "I am the Spirit of Fire," the man announced. "I control the fiery elements of the earth itself and purify all things. Long have I wished to show myself to a being worthy of my respect. You have earned that respect, Queen Kaeda Lucy Saros."

An abrupt clap of thunder shook the sacred grove as a lightning bolt struck from the gathering clouds, hitting to the left of Tora. It formed a ball of light that morphed into a white dragon twenty meters long with two long whiskers and a pair of feathered wings. Electricity arced over the creature's silvery skin, causing the nerves of everyone present to tingle.

Astounded that another dragon existed, Lucy asked the dragon "Who are you, great dragon?"

"I am the Spirit of Lightning that binds everything together," the white dragon answered. "Without me, life would not continue on this planet. Everything electrical, from the most powerful lightning to the tiniest nerve impulses that power the bodies of all living creatures is my domain. We are now all present: the elemental dragons of this planet: Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Lightning, and Life itself in the form of the great Forest Spirit. Only one of us guardians is not present: the great guardian of the Nexus of all Realities." Turning to the Forest Spirit, the Spirit of Lightning asked "Why have you summoned us all here today, Forest Spirit? Surely there is more going on here than giving our blessing to this union, which I most assuredly approve of. What is it?"

"Patience, my dragon friend," the Forest Spirit stated, "You shall know in due time. But we are still missing a few more actors. They should arrive momentarily."

Lucy, Kohta, and her wedding party found themselves surrounded by a host of mythological beings that caused most of her party to cower in fear in the center of the circle. Suddenly, the air began to shimmer in front of the Forest Spirit. Four distinct glowing forms appeared and solidified into four alien beings that Lucy and Kohta never dreamed existed. "Ah…the emissaries from the Eternal Council have finally arrived," the Forest Spirit declared as Lucy and Kohta took defensive positions, not sure of the newest arrivals. "Do not fear them, my Queen. They are here as allies, not enemies."

"We shall see," Lucy growled, becoming a bit irritated that her wedding had turned into a freak show of not just elementals, but now aliens. The first being to materialize was the leader of the group. This creature was a powerful bipedal tiger standing nearly three-and-a-half meters tall with tan and black stripes wearing an admiral's uniform. The second being was a sleek leopard woman three meters tall wearing an officer's dress uniform. The third resembled a three-and-a half meter tall werewolf; also wearing an officer's uniform that covered his rippling muscles. The fourth being caused the most fear, even striking icy terror into Lucy; a giant bipedal bear four-meters tall with cybernetic attachments on its face, left arm, chest, and both legs. One of the creature's eyes was a cybernetic eye that shined in an unsettling scarlet color. This creature too was dressed in an officer's uniform. "Oh my god," Lucy murmured, feeling the icy fear of the unknown crawling up her spine. "These are honest to god aliens from outer space."

Once the whole group had materialized out of thin air, the leader turned to Lucy and bowed on one knee to her. The rest of the aliens followed the leader's example. "Queen Kaeda Lucy Saros, please forgive this rude intrusion of your wedding ceremony; I am Prometheus, Admiral of the 4th Fleet of Sharindar and emissary of the Eternal Council. The leopard is Tabitha, my intelligence officer. The wolf is Ozzymandias, my executive officer; and the giant bear is simply the Nemesis, my chief of security. We come to offer our allegiance to the new Queen of the Diclonius of this planet and to warn you of dire plots within the Eternal Council that may sully your dreams of living in peace. But let's not talk of such things right now. You have a joyous task ahead of you. Let me and my colleagues not interfere any further with it. If you doubt our sincerity, scan us with your vectors this instant so that you will know we are friends and not enemies."

"I shall indeed," Lucy replied coldly, sending a swarm of vectors into each alien to discover their identity and test their intents. A gasp escaped her lips as she saw things in their minds she never thought existed. "Kohta…you need to test them too," Lucy said urgently. "There's more going on here than just an alien visitation."

Kohta scanned the new comers with his vectors and became astounded at what he saw. Withdrawing his vectors the same time as Lucy, he said "We need to pay close attention to these cats, Lucy. They know things of the universe we do not; things that can cause us great grief if we don't heed them."

Lucy nodded and said to Prometheus "Okay Admiral; you and your people may stay for now. We'll talk of this other shit later. I've waited a long time to marry Kohta and damned if I'm going to let anything stop it now."

"I completely understand," Prometheus stated as they rose. "You have our allegiance and blessing on your wedding. Those friendly to your kind throughout the galaxy wish you nothing but the best. You have proven yourself far and beyond what the Eternal Council ever hoped or dreamed you were capable of. We will stand by you and protect your planet from attack by the darkness infesting the Council. Fate willing, you will be able to have the peace you so covet. But enough talk from me. Let us stand back so you can get on with the ritual."

Lucy nodded as Prometheus and his people moved back to stand with the elementals near Tora. Lucy turned to the Forest Spirit and stated sharply, "This is not what I had in mind, you know. I just wanted a private ceremony in this sacred place to honor your help and this sacred place. But this is a bit much. Why did you want all these creatures to see me and Kohta get married?"

"Because this is the first time since the beginning of time that a diclonius Queen and her King have successfully repelled an Alpha Chaos Lord," the Forest Spirit answered. "We all wished to give you our thanks and blessing in person for saving the planet and all existence from Calidor's poisonous hate. You should be honored to be able to see all my elemental brothers and sisters manifested in one place. There is only one that is missing."

"Not anymore, my ancient friend," a familiar reptilian voice echoed through the sacred grove. "We are here to witness the marriage of the age."

Everyone looked up the cliff and saw a huge golden dragon appear with an elderly diclonius at his side. Kohta grinned widely and said "I'll be damned; Ryu and Nariko! How did you get out of the Nexus?"

Ryu grinned. "I am not technically present here, Master Kohta. What you see is my avatar projected into your dimension acting as a puppet. It allows me to witness events in a semi-physical form without leaving the Nexus unguarded. Besides, we have urgent business to discuss that your new friends have already informed you about. But let's not dwell on that sour news right now. You have a most pleasant task ahead of you."

"So we heard," Kohta stated. "Can we just get on with this?"

"In a moment," Ryu said. "I have a gift for you that you must first accept or reject."

"What is it?" Lucy asked with growing irritation.

"A question first, milady," Ryu answered, "would you like for the avatars of Kaeda, Nyu, and Fury to participate in this wedding? I feel that it wouldn't do you justice to not allow them the honor of seeing you in this manner."

"You mean like what happened while we were in the Collective fighting Calidor?" Kohta asked.

"I have it within my power to create a temporary dimensional bubble that will allow not just Kaeda, Nyu, and Fury to participate physically, but also to allow Izanami, Ai, and Yuan to witness it in person too," Ryu declared. "But in order to do this, I must ask for the assistance of my elemental friends here. Would you accept this most modest gift of an old Dragon Emperor still mending his ways?"

Lucy pondered it for a few moments, and then asked, "Will it destroy this place if you do that? I remember what happened the last time you created a dimensional contact. I don't want this place destroyed by something so irresponsible."

"Not if I have your help along with that of Master Kohta and my elemental brothers and sisters here," Ryu stated. "We are all dragons of Heaven and Earth and you are our Queen. Together we can safely create the bubble and then dismantle it without destroying this sacred place. So, do you accept my gift? Consider it a small token of repayment for all the trouble I caused you."

"Can it be done, Forest Spirit?" Kohta asked.

"If we all work together, yes," the Forest Spirit stated. "We can create a dimensional field around this place and open a portal the Collective. But once we are finished, those who came out of the Collective must return to their place before the dimensional field can be taken down. Otherwise, disaster may follow."

"I'd like to see Nyu, Kaeda, Izanami, and even your dark half witness this in person," Kohta murmured. "It'll allow them to participate in something they would otherwise be passive observers of."

Lucy nodded. "I think I'd like that too. This will definitely be a wedding to remember. Okay Ryu…I'll accept your gift. Just tell me what Kohta and I need to do to make this work."

"Splendid," Ryu crowed. "All you need to do is connect 100 vectors each to me and Nariko. That will give us the ability to make a safe connection to your Collective and enhance our power. I shall then join with my elemental brothers and sisters, and together, we can make this happen." Turning to the elementals, Ryu asked "Will you join with me to help make this unique wedding even more unique and pleasant, my brothers and sisters?"

Each of the elementals agreed to help and they evenly spaced themselves in a large circle encompassing the wedding party, spanning sixty meters across. "Whenever you are ready, Ryu," the Forest Spirit called out as he remained near Lucy and Kohta.

"Lucy, Master Kohta, please lend me your vectors now," Ryu stated and Lucy and Kohta sent 100 vectors to both Ryu and Nariko. Once connected to their vectors, Ryu called out "Now my brothers and sisters: lend me your elemental powers that we may create a temporary dimensional field around this sacred place." The elementals that had hands lifted them up, pointing to Ryu. Their elemental energies surged to him. The Forest Spirit glowed, sending a stream of life energy out of his antlers to Ryu while Tora roared, doing the same.

"Watch and marvel, my young friends," the Forest Spirit said, "you are about to see a power seldom seen or exercised on this planet: the power to bend and shape reality itself."

A perimeter of shimmering air formed on the ridge surrounding the sacred grove. The shimmering air formed into a dome that sealed off the grove from the outside world. The wedding party became woozy with the dimensional shift. Next, the portal of the Collective from the Nexus appeared next to the Spirit of the Earth. Lucy became a dizzy and Kohta grabbed her. "What's wrong?" Kohta asked as he gently guided her to her knees.

"I feel like my mind is trying to split apart," Lucy whispered, holding her head in her hands. "It hurts like hell."

"Master Kohta, look!" Ravenclaw shouted as three forms appeared around Lucy.

Kohta looked up, seeing Kaeda, Nyu, and Fury materializing around him and Lucy. His eyes grew wide and he whispered "Oh my god…it's working. Kaeda, Nyu, and Fury are manifesting like they did in the Nexus."

When Kaeda, Nyu, and Dark Lucy solidified, Kaeda touched Lucy on the shoulder, followed by Nyu, and Dark Lucy. "Relax Lucy…we're not separated from you like before," Kaeda stated, "We're here just as avatars. We are still in our place inside your mind. The pain will subside momentarily."

"Don't cry, Lucy, please don't cry. Nyu help; Nyu help you," Nyu cried, embracing Lucy.

"Come on Lucy," Dark Lucy growled, grabbing Lucy by the shoulder and squeezing hard, "This is nothing. Get up and get married already. Don't make me kick your ass to the altar."

Their touch drove the dizziness from Lucy's brain. She shook her head and looked up, seeing Kaeda, Nyu, and Dark Lucy touching her. "He did it," Lucy whispered. "Ryu got them out of my head to see me get married." She hugged Kaeda and Nyu, who leaned down to receive her embrace.

"That should do it, everyone," Ryu announced. "The dimensional field is stable and the gate to the Collective is open, Lucy. You should call whoever you want to see this."

"She doesn't have to," Kohta declared as he helped Lucy to her feet. "The ones she wants to see this are already here." As he finished speaking, Izanami, Ai, Yuan, Akira, and Jin walked through into the sacred grove. Ai and Yuan stopped before coming through and ordered the remaining multitude to watch from the open Collective gateway.

Sen saw her deceased father Jin pass through the portal and tears filled her eyes. She rushed to him and embraced him as only a daughter could. "Oh dad…I'm so sorry. I never got to tell you how much I loved you before you passed on."

Jin returned the embrace and cooed, "It's okay, Sen. I know you loved me, though I didn't make it any easier for you to say so. Can you forgive your old man for being such a stubborn pain in the ass?"

"Of course I do," Sen cried. "I'm your daughter."

"Thank you," Jin replied. "Now enough about us; this moment is about Lucy and Kohta. Let's give them the attention and respect they deserve." Sen nodded.

Izanami approached Rayden and gazed into his eyes. "Are you happy, brother?" she asked, giving him an affectionate embrace.

"You know, I think I am," Rayden replied, returning the embrace. "Thanks for forgiving me."

"I could do no less," Izanami replied. "You're the only reason I didn't go nuts and doom us all to extinction. Now let's turn our attention to Lucy and Kohta…the reason we've been allowed to witness this in person." Rayden nodded and they turned to Lucy and Kohta.

Akira stood before Lucy and Kohta and bowed. With a smile, he said "Well done, your majesties…very well done indeed. Thank you for allowing this old soul to witness your marriage in person."

"It's our pleasure, Akira," Kohta answered. "We owe you so much. It's the least we could do."

Ai and Yuan approached and bowed formally. "You have done very well, my children," Ai beamed pleasantly. "Yuan and I pray every day that you'll find the peace you deserve."

Izanami walked up to Lucy and Kohta, asking "Do you have the rings?"

Kohta shook his head solemnly. "That's the one detail we weren't able to work out before coming up here."

"Then leave it to me," Izanami stated. She walked over to the Spirit of the Earth and bowed formally to him. The earth elemental returned the bow and asked "How can I help you, Izanami Seiyuchin? Your efforts to keep the world in balance are legendary."

"Great Spirit of the Earth," Izanami started, "My Queen and King are without their wedding rings. Could you please retrieve the rings of my parents from their graves so that I may give them to Queen Lucy and Master Kohta as a wedding gift?"

"Such a simple task you ask of me," the Spirit of the Earth rumbled. "…especially since I know exactly where on this mountain your parents lie."

Izanami's eyes grew wide. "You know where their graves are? Where? I've forgotten where I buried my beloved parents."

"They lie in the yard of your old home under the ancient oak," the earth elemental replied. "My old tree friend watches over them for all eternity. Shall I give the rings to them, or do you want to do it?"

"We shall do it together, my friend," Izanami declared.

"Very well, milady," the earth elemental stated, "we shall wait until the call for the rings comes." Izanami nodded and they turned towards Lucy and Kohta. "It appears that they are ready for the ritual."

Fargo stood beside the falls and looked over the group. "If we are done gathering our witnesses, let's get this show on the road," he called out. Once again, everyone settled into their positions. The elementals stood around the perimeter and the Forest Spirit stood to the right of Kohta as the most powerful elemental present. By now, the fear amongst the wedding party of the elementals and aliens had diminished to a manageable level, mainly because of the lack of hostility coming from the mythological beings. Lucy and Kohta stood before Fargo and their witnesses, holding hands. Silence fell over the grove. Scanning the group, Fargo admitted "To be honest with you, I've never presided over a wedding where mythological elementals, dragons, and aliens were involved, so I guess this is not just a first for me. But let me tell you about our Queen and her King."

"Hold on, Captain Fargo," the Forest Spirit intruded. "There is something missing."

"What could possibly be missing?" Lucy asked, becoming exasperated by the continuing delays with the ceremony. "Everything and everyone is ready."

"Not quite," the Forest Spirit stated. "The grove is not suitably prepared. Please; allow me." The Forest Spirit sighed deeply, breathing out while stomping its foot three times. The grove, which had gone dormant for the winter, came to life in an instant. Flowers sprang from the earth and the trees, turning the cold grove into a paradise.

"Oh this will not do," the Spirit of Fire announced. "This winter cold will devastate the gift before everyone has been allowed to enjoy them. Allow me to warm the grove." He pulled his flaming sword and spun it around several times over his head, warming the air inside the dimensional field to a pleasant temperature. "That should be sufficient," the fire elemental declared, twisting the handle of his sword. The handle extended to two meters and he stuck it in the ground, turning his flaming blade into a giant Tiki torch. "My blade will keep the grove warm for the duration of this event."

"Wow," Lucy breathed, awed by the explosion of life around her.

Kohta was speechless at the power of the Forest Spirit. When he found his tongue, he said, "I only wish I had a bouquet of flowers for Lucy. Every bride needs a bouquet."

"Look at your feet, Master Kohta," the Forest Spirit said. "Will these do?"

Kohta looked down, seeing a carpet of wildflowers opening in full bloom. Lucy gasped at their splendor, seeing crimson passion flowers, jasmine, and pink wisteria growing together in the same space with the pale moonflowers, colorful snap dragons, creeping flocks, yellow daffodils, black-eyed susans, thorn-less white roses of such purity that they seemed unreal. Pink and red roses also sprouted in the same area. Kohta remained speechless, so stunned that no words could convey his emotions.

"Take those you wish for your wedding bouquet, milady," the Forest Spirit announced, "a gift from all us elementals."

Lucy dropped to her knees in astonishment and sorted through the carpet of flowers at Kohta's feet, gathering a handful of white and pink roses, crimson passion flowers, pink wisteria, and jasmine vines to tie the bouquet together. Once Kohta noticed what she wanted, he knelt and helped her gather the flowers, holding them as she tied them together with the jasmine leads.

"Here you go, Lucy," Kohta whispered, handing the flowers to her. "I'm sorry I didn't get them ahead of time."

She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. "It's okay, Kohta; this more than makes up for it."

After helping Lucy up, Kohta turned to the Forest Spirit and bowed. "Thank you for everything. I now understand why Lucy insisted on having the ceremony here. This place is truly the heart of purity and innocence of our world. What you and your friends have done here could not be topped by the grandest wedding held in the most elaborate temple or cathedral made by the hands of man. We are truly blessed to be allowed to have our wedding here in your sacred grove in the depths of Nature herself. Now I feel that we are truly reconnecting with our past and the earth. Thank you all."

"You are most welcome, Master Kohta," the Forest Spirit replied. "It's the least we can do for saving us from the annihilation of Calidor. Now that all ready, you may proceed with the ceremony, Captain Fargo."

"Of course," Fargo said humbly. "I can see now what was missing. Thank you for providing a suitable cathedral for the Queen and Master Kohta to marry in. Now it's truly a fairy tale setting for the marriage of the age between these two precious friends of ours." As he spoke, Fargo, then Lucy, Kohta, and the rest of the group noticed a myriad of small white ghostly creatures appearing and standing with the elementals from their perimeter outwards. Standing no more than two feet tall, each of these apparitions were unique, looking like little people with simple faces, all of which were smiling. These creatures also seemed to be phasing between being solid and vaporous. "Oh my word," Fargo breathed, noticing the creatures forming into a countless multitude. "Look, milady, Master Kohta…have you ever seen anything like this before in your life?"

Lucy and Kohta stared in wondrous disbelief at the apparitions. "No, never," Lucy murmured, immediately knowing by instinct that these beings were harmless. One of the creatures walked past the earth Elemental approaching Lucy and Kohta as if it were a child approaching a parent. It stopped in front of them and uttered a clicking noise.

"What are they, Rayden?" Yuka asked in wonder.

"I don't believe it," Rayden murmured, "I haven't seen a Kodama since I was four years old."

Lucy and Kohta squatted to look at their curious little visitor. It smiled pleasantly at them and clicked loudly. The sea of these creatures surrounding them clicked loudly in response for a few moments. "What are you?" Lucy asked; fascinated by the little creature.

"They are Kodama," the Forest Spirit declared, "the spirits of the trees of this forest. They have come to approve of your union with Master Kohta. You should feel privileged. The Kodama don't appear to just anyone and they haven't been seen by your kind since Rayden was a child living in these very mountains."

"Is that so," Lucy said as she saw the little Kodama pick a small pink flower from the creeping flocks and present it to her. "Oh thank you, little one," she said to the creature, taking the flower. "It's beautiful."

The Kodama's strange face beamed with a wide smile and it clicked pleasantly. It then bowed and went back to its kind standing with the elementals.

"I feel like I'm lost in a fairy tale now," Kohta murmured. "I never thought the legends and myths of our world were actually based on fact. But there's no denying it now. I must accept it. How did we forget our connection to nature and the earth like that?"

"Your kind forgot us because you forgot your connection to us," the earth elemental declared. "Now you and Queen Lucy are re-forging the link between humanity and us by returning to a way of life rooted in earth."

Lucy rose, adding the Kodama's flower to her bouquet. She turned to the sea of Kodama beyond the elemental's perimeter and finally understood the sacred grove. "Now I get it," Lucy said softly, "This place feels the way it does because of these little spirits all around us. The Kodama are not affected by the hate, arrogance, greed, and evil of humanity. They have retained their innocence in the face of all that's happened. Kohta…we must preserve this forest if we intend to find the peace we seek. These little creatures will show us how to live in peace if we live in peace with them."

"Absolutely," Kohta stated. "It now makes sense why this place feels so pure. I will fight to my last breath to protect this place and everything here."

"A noble oath, Master Kohta," the Forest Spirit declared. "The Kodama accept it and honor you and Queen Lucy with their presence and blessing on this union between the two of you. Captain Fargo, you may now proceed. Everything is now in place for the ritual."

Fargo called out, "Now that the Kodama are here, we can get started with what Master Ryu calls the Marriage of the Age. In this sacred location that has not seen the hand of evil the modern world collides with the ancient and mythological to show us the true nature of reality. Our human ancestors told us of these magnificent beings, but we rejected them in the name of our religions and science, choosing to believe only in what we can see and explain; a failed way as far as I see it. There is so much more to the universe than what we can see and touch. Now the world is changed and the ancient world is reviving to show us the way to peace. There is no better place for such a wedding that marks the rise of the diclonius as a mature species to take our place alongside our human compatriots, our elemental brothers and sisters who have graciously chosen to reveal themselves to us in our time of triumph over the darkness, and now alongside all the countless species we know exist across the cosmos because of our alien friends there. Queen Lucy and Master Kohta have walked the horrid road of anger, hate, blood, and death spread before them, and have amazingly kept the faith to one another in that dark journey into the light. Now is their time to share the happiness that they fought and bled to obtain despite the continuing efforts of the dark powers to rob them of that happiness and peace, and even their very lives. Let me tell you of my experience with them so that everyone here may know how I feel about them."

Fargo then started in on a brief discourse about his time with Lucy, Kohta, and their family and how they saved not just themselves and their friends repeatedly, but the world in the process. "Now that we know about Lucy and Kohta, let's get to why we are here. I'm sure Lucy and Master Kohta are more than ready to take this step into a new life. There is one distinct privilege I have as the captain of the Chimera. It's a responsibility every ship captain has had since man first learned to sail the waves of the unknown oceans in search of that undiscovered country; and that is the ability to marry two people in a legally binding ceremony. That's is why I am here today: to wed this man and this woman in the bonds of holy matrimony in the presence of these witnesses; whether they be human, diclonius, elemental, dragon, Kodama, or aliens from another world. Marriage is one of the good institutions of the old world left behind that will endure in this new world. Now since the Queen and her King have been waiting so long to do this, let's just skip the formalities and get to it. We'll keep the vows short and if Master Kohta and Lucy have any declarations to add to them, they are welcome to express them.

"So, Master Kohta, do you take Kaeda Lucy Saros as your wedded wife and Queen in accordance to our customs in the sight of God and of these witnesses? Will you love, honor, cherish, and obey her in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Kohta said without hesitation. "I take you, Lucy, as my wife and Queen and together we shall find the peace deprived you and your people for so long. I swear in the presence of God himself and these creatures around us that I shall love and serve you as long as you live, and even longer. We are one forever. If I were dead and you alive fighting for life, I'd cross over the abyss of death to save you. All hatred and betrayals are gone and today we start a new life together, if you will have me."

The oath surprised the elementals and even Ryu, who started to understand the depths of love Kohta had for Lucy.

"Okay, milady," Fargo announced, "your turn…the same thing for you: do you take Master Kohta as your wedded husband and King in the sight of God and these witnesses? Will you love, honor, cherish, and obey him in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live? Think about it before you answer, milady, because this is a solemn oath not to be taken lightly."

Lucy gazed into Kohta's eyes with all the love she had for him, yet she considered Fargo's words carefully, clenching the precious flowers in her fist. After a few tense moments, a smile crept across her lips. "I most certainly do, Captain Fargo. I accept Kohta as my husband and King. I chose him out of all the people of this wretched world to be my one and only. He has pulled me out of the abyss and saved me with his love. I am his servant and Queen as long as I live and even longer. No force in the universe can separate us. We shall be together forever and longer. I love him." The words suddenly took on new meaning for Lucy in the midst of the sacred grove in the presence of beings as old as time; in the midst of a place that defines purity and innocence with its very presence. The moment her words came out of her mouth, a pleasant chill raced up her spine. "I love him," she repeated. "Can you understand that? For the first time in my miserable life, I can truly say that I love him. It's a feeling I can't describe, but I love it. Life and light truly do dispel darkness and death. I love you, Kohta; and I want the whole universe to know it. I also want them to know that I will fight for him and our family to my dying breath to keep them safe. We are now a family."

"Ahem," Fargo gently intruded. "Not quite, milady; there's one more minor thing we must do before I can make it official."

Kohta slapped his head with his hand. "The rings; we don't have the rings!" he cried in dismay. "We got the flowers and forgot the rings!"

"Excuse me, Master Kohta, milady," Izanami called out, "but you didn't forget. I have the rings thanks to our friend here."

"Then bring them up here, Izanami," Lucy ordered.

Izanami walked up to Lucy's left with the earth elemental lumbering beside her, shaking the ground with his strides. The earth elemental stopped beside Izanami as she said "When I found out you didn't have wedding ring, I consulted our friend the Spirit of the Earth. I asked if he could retrieve the rings my parents had when they were married. He consented."

The Spirit of the Earth leaned down as he held out his giant rocky hand. Opening his hand, two small rings sat in his stony palm. "These are the rings of your ancestors: Mamoru and Yuki Seiyuchin. They are not fancy or ornate, but they were given in pure love. I know. I witnessed the union. Take them with the Earth's blessing as a gift from both Izanami and the elementals."

"Oh my god," Kohta breathed, seeing the rings. "Never did I believe I would see the rings of Mamoru and Yuki, much less actually be able to use them. Thank you, Izanami. Thank you, Great Spirit of the Earth. This is a gift unparalleled by any we've ever received. Only Lucy saving my life could ever have topped this."

"Are you sure, Izanami?" Lucy asked intently. "Do you really want us to have these rings to cement our bonds?"

Izanami smiled and put her arm around Lucy. "Yes, my precious daughter…you have earned this token of diclonius prestige. These are the rings of our parents who bore us into this world. Let's make this a diclonius legacy that the Queen and her King always bear the rings of her forefathers. Nothing would make me happier."

"How can we say no to that, Lucy," Kohta declared. "We are making a new world here, complete with new traditions. Let this one be handed down from generation to generation forever." He boldly picked up the rings out of the hand of the earth elemental and sat one in Lucy's hand. "We can do this. Okay, captain, what's next?"

"You place the ring on her finger and say 'with this ring I thee wed'," Fargo stated, "and anything else you want to say. Then she does the same with you and then I pronounce you man and wife to make the marriage official."

The earth elemental stepped back a couple of steps with Izanami as Lucy and Kohta prepared to exchange rings. Taking her hand in his, he slipped his ring on her ring finger, saying "Lucy, with this ring, I thee wed. Let this ring be a sign of my infinite and undying love for you. As the ring is round with neither beginning nor end, let it be the symbol of my undying love for you that is deeper than the deepest abyss and wider than the known universe. Let the whole universe know that Lucy is my love and my life and that I will fight for her to my very last breath."

Kohta's words struck deep into Lucy's core, sending chills down her spine. Tucking her flowers under her arm, she took his hand and slipped her ring on his ring finger saying, "Kohta, with this ring, I thee wed you for all eternity. You have saved me from that abyss and myself and shown me what life is truly all about. I will always come for you if you are in trouble. This ring shows that we are joined forever. I will love you forever. Thank you, Kohta for everything."

"Now before I say the magic words, I must ask if there is anyone here who think this union is a bad idea," Fargo called out to the crowd. "Speak now without fear of retribution or forever hold your peace."

Silence reigned for a few moments until Mayu started chanting "Marry them. Marry them. Marry them." Nana quickly joined in and the chant spread to every person and creature present. The Kodama clicked softly, adding their voice to the chorus. Even Yuka chanted it despite her feelings of being rejected by Kohta. She now completely understood how her jealousy had caused her so much grief and determined not to let it happen again. Besides, Rayden stood with his arm around her as her true soul mate…something she finally realized Kohta was not. The chant stunned Lucy and Kohta. It continued for a couple of minutes and then stopped as quickly as it started.

"It seems your friends and nature itself has spoken," Fargo said pleasantly. "So by the power vested in me as the Captain of the Chimera, I declare you Kaeda Lucy Saros and Master Kohta to be man and wife. Master Kohta, you may now kiss your bride and Queen."

Kohta swept Lucy into his arms and kissed her passionately before everyone. Lucy responded, not caring who saw at this point. A tremendous cheer rose from the witnesses. The Kodama surrounding the wedding party clicked in unison. When the kiss ended, Fargo said, "Congratulations, Lucy, Master Kohta…one journey ends as another begins. May you find the peace together that you could not find separately. I and the crew of the Chimera wish you all the best in this new path you tread." Turning to the witnesses, Fargo shouted, "All behold the Queen of all Diclonius, Kaeda Lucy Saros, and her King, Master Kohta Saros; rulers of the diclonius world. May they find the peace they seek for themselves and all people who love the light and life. Hail to the Queen and her King!" Fargo dropped on one knee before Lucy and Kohta, triggering everyone else to bow, even the elementals and the Dragon Emperor.

The gesture made Lucy uncomfortable and she called out "That's enough; everyone on your feet. I don't want you to bow to me or Kohta. Just give us the peace we seek and that'll be enough." The crowd rose in response, standing quietly waiting for Lucy's next order.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Just a brief insert here: this is only part of the wedding. The rest of the wedding is in the following chapter, which was written as one chapter. I split it in two to make it not so cumbersome to read. Enjoy.

Beowulf Caverias


	46. Chapter 46 Dawn of the Diclonius Age

Chapter 46

Dawn of the Diclonius Age

Lucy and Kohta scanned the crowd after they exchanged their vows in the sacred grove. Both them noticed the Kodama starting to disperse into the forest while the people waited politely for either Lucy or Kohta to speak. Seeing the bouquet in Lucy's hand and realizing there was one more tradition to follow, Mayu abruptly called out, "Throw the bouquet, Lucy! Throw it for good luck!"

Kohta chuckled and Lucy smiled. "Okay Mayu; for you," Lucy replied. She turned her back to the crowd and tossed the bouquet over her head towards the crowd. Silence gripped the wedding entourage as the flowers tumbled through the air. Lucy held her breath, uneasy about the silence. As the flowers came down, only one strong hand reached out to take the flowers. A cheer immediately rose afterwards. "Who got the flowers?" Lucy asked.

Kohta smiled broadly. "Turn around and see," he said. "I don't want to spoil the surprise."

Lucy turned and saw Rayden holding the flowers in one hand and his other arm around Yuka, who sported a look of utter shock on her flushed face. "Nice catch, Rayden," Lucy complimented warmly. "But I think you know who those flowers are really for, don't you."

"I most certainly do, my Queen," Rayden stated. He turned to Yuka and presented the bouquet to her. "These are yours, my precious angel; a gift from Lucy and Master Kohta."

Trembling, Yuka took the flowers, but looked to Lucy as she did. "Thank you so much," she said to both Rayden and Lucy.

"Isn't it said that whoever catches the bouquet will get married next?" Kohta asked, chuckling.

"That's the tradition," Fargo confirmed. "But it's just a legend passed on through the eons of human civilization."

"And the Forest Spirit, the Elementals, and the Kodama aren't?" Lucy chided, feeling so happy that she was becoming giddy. Calling out to Yuka, Lucy declared, "I hoped you'd get the flowers, Yuka. After all the pain and heartache you've endured, you deserve something good."

Yuka's eyes filled with tears as she clenched the flowers to her chest, letting the perfume of the flowers dance around her nose. "Oh Lucy…I'm so sorry I misjudged you. You really are a good person that deserves Kohta more than I. Please forgive me."

Lucy walked over to Yuka and unexpectedly hugged her, feeling an overwhelming sense of pity for her rival. "I do forgive you, Yuka. You shouldn't worry about that any more. This is not just a new start for me and Kohta, but for all of us. Rayden is a kind and noble man who is far more worthy of you than anyone else on this planet. I look forward to the day when you and he get married. You deserve it after everything that's happened to you."

"Your words are gold to me," Yuka whimpered. "I am honored to be your friend, Lucy."

"Me too," Lucy said softly. "Now get rid of that sour face. This is a happy moment for both of us. You know that your time with Rayden will eventually come because of these." Lucy pointed to the flowers and winked as she went back to Kohta.

Yuka's face brightened and she embraced Rayden fondly, feeling for the first time that Lucy really belonged with Kohta just as she belonged with Rayden. "I love you, Lucy," Yuka called out softly.

Lucy cast a smile and a nod back to Yuka as she rejoined Kohta while the crowd began to mill about.

Kaeda, Nyu, and Dark Lucy stood around Lucy and Kohta. "I'm so glad I could see this from the outside," Kaeda beamed. "Thank you for letting me, Nyu, and Fury to participate in your wedding in this manner. It's wonderful that you've finally been able to take control of your emotions. What you did for Yuka is something she will never forget."

"I realize that," Lucy murmured, feeling a pleasant warm sensation that she enjoyed for being able to do something good for Yuka.

Nyu hugged Lucy, chiming "Nyu love Lucy. Thank you for letting Nyu see you and Kohta together once more." She then threw herself on Kohta, embracing and kissing him on the cheek. "Nyu love you, Kohta. Don't forget Nyu."

"I could never forget you, Nyu," Kohta stated. "Besides, I can see you whenever Lucy lets me so that should be fine."

"Nyu like that," Nyu replied with a huge smile on her face, going to mingle with the other people.

"I never figured out why she's so infantile," Dark Lucy chided as she approached Kohta.

"She's not infantile, Fury," Kohta declared. "It's her innocence that you have trouble reconciling. You don't need to figure her out. Just accept her. Nyu is growing just as any girl does. In time she won't be speaking like a three year old, but like you and me. It's just going to take some time."

"I don't know about that," Dark Lucy replied. "But I must admit that you proved much more resilient than I ever believed. I find myself glad I didn't kill you."

"That's mighty uncharacteristic of you, Fury," Kohta returned.

"Don't patronize me, Kohta," Dark Lucy hissed, "You know better than that."

Kohta smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "I certainly do. But it seems I was able to convince you that not all people are shits worthy of being flushed."

Dark Lucy cackled at the comment. "You're right. I don't like to admit when I'm wrong, but this time I was. I was wrong about you. Thanks for not betraying us like last time."

"The last time is dead and buried, Fury," Kohta stated. "Let's leave those black ghosts buried in Calidor's dark dimension forever. This is a new beginning for all of us."

"Okay," Dark Lucy answered. She suddenly tensed and turned to look across the pool beyond the water elemental. Her eyes grew wide and she gasped. Grabbing Kohta and physically turning him in the direction she was looking she said, "Please tell me you see that, Kohta."

Kohta's eyes grew wide as he saw two ghostly forms hovering just on the far bank of the pool where some of the Kodama had once stood. "Lucy, Kaeda, everyone…I think you should see this," he called out urgently, pointing to the apparitions. His urgency caused everyone to look. Gasps escaped numerous lips.

The Forest Spirit turned and saw the apparitions. "Well, isn't this a surprise," he crowed. "I didn't think Mamoru and Yuki would have the power to appear like this."

Lucy looked to the Forest Spirit and then back to the apparitions. She clearly saw the ghostly forms of both Mamoru and Yuki standing there with approving smiles on their faces. "Izanami, Rayden…are those your parents?" Lucy asked softly.

Rayden gasped as Izanami replied "I don't believe it…mom, dad…how?"

"Their spirits are tied to this area," the Forest Spirit stated. "Your presence here drew them to you. It looks like they approve of what's been done here. That is a good sign."

"A sign of what?" Kohta asked.

"It means that you and Queen Lucy are in the right place at the right time, Master Kohta," the water elemental declared. "Human souls sometimes remained tied to a geographic area when they die violently and aren't avenged. They cannot truly rest. What you did just a few minutes ago set into motion the process that will allow them to find the peace they seek too. Remember, they were brutally murdered in this very forest and their souls were not avenged, so they remained tied to this area. I remember the taste of their blood as it poured into my streams; a detestable flavor the taste of innocent blood shed by the wicked. By destroying Calidor's evil and returning here, their souls have been avenged. Do not be surprised if they visit you in your dreams or as an apparition. They will have to confirm that justice has been served before they will truly move on into the afterlife."

"I agree," the earth elemental agreed. "I too tasted of their blood. It is vile tasting innocent blood slaughtered by evil men. Only the blood of those who shed that innocent blood could stop the cry from these two. That is why they were bound to this area. Now their blood has been truly avenged and they can truly go on to be at peace."

Mamoru locked eyes with Lucy and smiled. He waved at her and nodded. Lucy sent out a vector to Mamoru, finding only empty air with a slightly elevated energy signature where his and Yuki's apparitions stood. Yuki blew a kiss to Lucy and Kohta, and then waved as she and Mamoru faded away.

Lucy suddenly felt an acute loss when Mamoru and Yuki vanished. Tears welled up in her eyes. "We must find them," she said softly, "and tend to their graves. But I don't know where to start."

"Mamoru and Yuki Seiyuchin lie in the yard of their old home underneath the ancient oak with Izanami and Rayden's old body," the earth elemental informed them. "You saw them at their old home up the mountain here when you last came to this mountain. Go back to them and tend to their resting place to set them free."

"Thank you," Lucy stated with a troubled sigh. "I think it's time we shut this party down. We've done what we came to do and more. Now it's time to go and leave this sacred place untouched by our presence."

"Very well, milady," Ryu replied, hearing her order. "All those who need to return to the Collective have five minutes to say their farewells before returning to their designated dimension; after which we will dismantle our dimensional bubble."

Izanami, Akira, Jin, Ai, and Yuan said their goodbyes to Lucy, Kohta and their relatives before returning to the Collective. Kaeda, Nyu, and Dark Lucy said one last goodbye to Kohta and then hugged Lucy in a group hug. When they did that, their avatars faded away as they reintegrated fully with Lucy. Lucy staggered for a moment until dizziness she felt from the reintegration subsided.

Once all of the visitors from the Collective had returned to their appropriate places, Ryu shouted, "Let's shut it down, my friends!" The elementals clapped their hands and stomped their feet as Ryu released an ear-splitting roar. The Collective gateway vanished as the dimensional dome melted away, leaving the wedding party standing in the sacred grove as if nothing had occurred. The fire elemental pulled his blade out the ground and shouldered it, allowing the warmth it generated in the grove to quickly disperse. Seconds later, the lush paradise of the sacred grove had returned to its dormant status, except for the bouquet Yuka cradled with great care. "It is done," Ryu announced. "We have successfully dismantled the dimensional bubble without damaging this holy place." Ryu then looked directly at Lucy and declared, "Now, my Queen…listen carefully to what Admiral Prometheus has to say for it is confirmation of a credible threat from the outside that I have noticed from the Nexus. You may have defeated Calidor and sent him back to his dimension, but he has dark allies in this dimension who have corrupted the Eternal Council; and they are not happy about your victory over Calidor."

Lucy felt her heart sink into her shoes. "You have got to be kidding! I thought once we defeated that shit Calidor, I'd find the peace I wanted."

"And you still may," Ryu replied as the Dragon Emperor guardian of the Nexus. "But only if you remain vigilant and remain on guard for potential threats. This threat is something that has just developed in the last few of your days and is still in its infancy. The repercussions of your defeat of Calidor are still spreading throughout the multiverse. Keep your eye on this new threat and don't give it any place to grow on this planet." He sighed and then added, "I hated to have to dump this on you on such a happy day, but you made me promise to tell you if anything came up that threatened the earth from the outside, and we dragons always keep our word. I have lived up to that promise, milady. Now I and Nariko must go and monitor the multiverse for threats to its stability. I sincerely hope this sour news does not interfere with you and Master Kohta finding the peace you've coveted for so long. Until the time when we shall meet again, my Queen: farewell." Nariko waved as he and Ryu vanished from the cliff above them.

"So, this is why you called us together, Forest Spirit," the Spirit of Lightning announced. "The darkness of Chaos is once again rising to threaten our existence."

"It seems so," the Forest Spirit stated. "We should monitor this situation closely for it could affect us all. Admiral Prometheus knows that the Council has corrupted itself and wishes to destroy humanity because it destroyed Calidor. Moreover, he knows that they want to destroy the entire planet to do it. It's just another attack on the gates of the Dark Dimensions to open them." Turning to Lucy, the Forest Spirit stated, "We shall watch this situation very closely and if you need our help, you only have to ask. You saved us once without our help. It's time we elementals stepped up and fought for our right to exist as you did. If it is within our power to grant you the peace you want, you shall have it. But if war once again looms, we shall take to the battlefield to protect our right to exist with you, unlike the last time. The darkness cannot be allowed to destroy all life and light on this planet now that we are starting to rebuild it."

"You have my support, Queen Kaeda Lucy Saros," the Spirit of the Earth elemental declared with a rumble.

"And the power of the waters is at your command if you need us," the Spirit of Water elemental announced.

"Air will assist if the worst case scenario occurs," the Spirit of the Air promised.

"As will Fire," the Spirit of Fire elemental stated. "No longer will we allow our world to be ruled by the whims of those not of our world. These dark traitors on the Eternal Council will feel the fires of our wrath and be cleansed if they chose to move against us."

"Lightning stands ready to destroy the destroyers," the white dragon Spirit of Lightning said sternly. "For the first time in eons, we, the elementals of creation, have come together to protect our sacred world. The days of the Diclonius and Elementals have arrived and let all who wish to disturb or destroy our peace beware. We are not going to go quietly into the night. If the diclonius can rise to reclaim their place in the world, so can we." Turning his dragon gaze to Lucy, the lightning elemental declared, "You have shown that we can rise to the occasion and protect ourselves without being swallowed by the darkness that threatens to engulf us, my Queen. You have the power and protection of the Elementals at your call if you need us."

"I appreciate that," Lucy replied. "But it still doesn't help me and Kohta find the peace we wanted. First it was an inter-dimensional maniac that wanted us dead. Now there's this threat from god knows where in outer space that wants us and our entire planet vaporized. Is there going to be any end to his constant fighting? I have to know."

Prometheus stepped up and bowed. "Milady, please do not fret over this turn of events. You have powerful friends and allies all over this galaxy who will help prevent this destruction from reaching your planet."

"And how is that?" Lucy snapped, feeling very sour about the turn of events. "Just when I thought the fight was over, I find out it's just the end of a round, not the end of the fight. I don't want to fight any more. I just want everyone to leave us the fuck alone. I don't care who or what this goddamned Eternal Council is. They just need to leave us and this planet well enough alone. We're not going to mess in their politics or threaten them. If they don't leave us alone, then I'm going to end their wretched existence myself and throw the lot of them into that dark dimension with Calidor. What do you say to that?"

"Calm down, Lucy," Kohta warned. "You're letting your anger run out of control again. Remember Izanami and Rayden. Don't give the evil place in your mind or heart now that we've purged it."

"Shut up, Kohta," Lucy snapped coldly at his first comments. "It has to be said. I'm not going to be a victim any longer." Turning to Prometheus, she hissed, "You can go back to your precious Eternal Council, whoever the fuck they are, and tell them if they don't leave us alone, I'll fucking destroy every last one of them. All I want is for them to leave us alone: the same thing I wanted of the humans and you saw what we had to do to finally get that done." Her anger began to wane and she pleaded, "Forgive me for be short with you, but you must understand that we've endured enough. You must convince your people, whatever they are, that we are not a threat to them."

"They are not my people, milady," Prometheus declared, "They are a group of races that are descended from the original Council who have ruled this galaxy since the Dragon Age on this planet. Unfortunately, some of the more powerful members have been contaminated by the darkness of the Chaos Lord. It's my belief that Calidor's release into this dimension was not accidental. We believe that some of his minions who escaped the purge during the Dragon Wars survived to take control of the Eternal Council, engineering Calidor's escape from behind the scenes. When you and your king sent that Chaos Lord back into the dark dimensions and purged his darkness from your kind and the world, the traitors to universal peace were identified on the council by their reaction to Calidor's defeat. They were the ones who gave the order for this planet's demolition even after you purged Calidor and his poison from your people. It was my job as Admiral to execute this order. I refused this order and got into contact with the council members who want to spare this planet because it's the seat of the Nexus. We are going after these traitors so they never try this kind of thing again."

"Understand, milady," the werewolf, Ozzymandias intruded, "your planet is not the first to have been ravaged by the Dark Chaos Lords, and then after defeating those Dark Lords be condemned to utter destruction. My world, a world known as Akkaidia was one such planet who suffered that fate. My people, like yours, managed to drive the Dark Lords and their influences off the planet, but the Eternal Council, who runs the war against the Chaos Lords, arbitrarily decided that the Chaos Lords had contaminated our entire race beyond redemption, just as they have declared about to your species. To prevent the contamination from spreading across the galaxy, they vaporized my planet, snuffing out a species, who like yours, was on the verge of maturing and possibly resisting the Eternal Council's rule over the galaxy. We are here to stop this from happening so your species can mature as it should be and eventually take its place among the intelligent species of this galaxy."

"Oh man, this is starting to sound so familiar," Kohta observed. "That's the same bullshit that led to the hell we just came through. Now you're saying that this kind of thing is not just confined to this planet but across the galaxy too. It seems that no matter which way we turn, we get screwed. If this is such a big deal, answer me this: why are you drawing a line at this planet and not the wolf's planet?"

"The line is being drawn in this little backwater because your planet is the only one in the entire multiverse that is directly connected to the Nexus," the cyborg bear, Nemesis rumbled. "We knew that Ryu-Wo-Chin moved the Nexus from this dimension into another. What you don't understand is that the Nexus is permanently attached to this planet in every dimension. The Dragon Emperor could move the Nexus between dimensions but he cannot move it in space to another location. Your planet exhibits a unique frequency that connects it physically to all the dimensions it inhabits, so if you demolish the planet in this dimension, a chain reaction will occur that will destroy the planet in every other dimension, which leads to the Nexus. A planetary explosion at the Nexus would destroy every gate in the Nexus, allowing all dimensions to collide and collapse uncontrollably, which would negate all dimensions in an explosion so immense no one can conceive of it."

Myra stepped forward and said "So let me get this straight. The planet beneath our feet right now is literally connected to every other dimension, including the Nexus and if this planet is blown up, it literally means the end of all existence everywhere?"

"Yes, Miss," Nemesis stated. "That is why we are here. The traitors who want this planet demolished mistakenly believe that it will only disrupt the Nexus and open the Chaos Dimensions to all other dimensions, not destroy all existence as all the evidence suggests. They think that they can break the chains on the Dark Dimensions by demolishing the space where the link to them exists. But to destroy that space in order to break the chains would shatter the space/time continuum and create a violent merging of dimensions that will end in the obliteration of all dimensions. In essence, the Nexus would become the ultimate singularity, drawing in all dimensions until they are consumed. These traitors who wish to free the Dark Lords no matter what the costs just don't understand that it is suicide to destroy this planet because of its physical connection with the Nexus."

Mayu, horrified by what she was hearing, asked "How can these crazy people be stopped from doing such a horrible thing? I don't want to die now that I have a real family."

The leopard woman, Tabitha walked over to Mayu and squatted down to look her in the eye. In a sweet, melodious tone that surprised even Lucy, Tabitha said, "That is why we're here, sweetie. We're here to keep these bad people from doing that."

"Indeed," Prometheus stated. "As we speak, there's a rebellion against the Eternal Council forming in every corner of the galaxy. Every planet and species who has felt this betrayal of the Eternal Council you're feeling now is gathering to our cause. Even those who haven't felt the betrayals as Ozzymandias's people did are now seeing the light about the campaign to eradicate all resistance in the guise of keeping the Chaos Lords at bay. Your astounding defeat of Calidor has revealed his corrupt minions on the Council for all to see so now many races and species around the galaxy are turning against the Council who has ruled this galaxy with an iron hand for thousands of your years. As Admiral of the 4th Fleet of Sharindar and the defacto leader of this rebellion against the Council, I purpose to set up a blockade around this planet to keep any hostile forces from setting their sights on this planet to enforce the Council's decree. Once we have set up the blockade, we shall hunt down these traitors infected by the Chaos Lord's evil and bring them to justice. No longer will innocent species die needlessly because the Eternal Council fears their maturing into a powerful race capable of resisting their domination. If things go well for us, you will not see any of this war. But if the war goes badly, this planet could once again become a battleground. That is why I'm asking for an alliance with you, milady. You and your husband are without a doubt, the most powerful beings on this planet, or any planet with five hundred parsecs. If the war comes to your doorstep, we hope that you will once again rise to fight for your right to exist, along with your elemental friends here. That is all we are asking. This is your planet and you have a right to live on it without the fear of annihilation from outside. So will you help us? You have my word that only if our blockade collapses will you be called on to help us defend your planet."

"God have mercy," Kohta breathed, having once again felt helpless in the face of the unknown. "This is a whole new level to what we've endured. I'm beginning to regret having wanted to know what the world was truly like." He suddenly noticed that the Elementals were slowly vanishing into the forest.

"That's beside the point, Kohta," Lucy stated coldly, not noticing the Elementals vanishing. "Once again, we're faced with another potential annihilation; this time from a corruption of the species who fought during the Dragon Age. As much as I would like to just turn away and forget all this shit, I cannot. We have sacrificed so much to get to this point. If we don't take this seriously, it could kill us all."

"You're right," Kohta answered. "We have to take this seriously since we asked Ryu to keep us informed of any threats from the outside. I'd say this classifies as a big one. In a way, we kind of inadvertently stepped into this one without realizing it by getting Ryu to warn us of outside threats. So what do we do?"

Lucy looked up into Prometheus's giant cat face and said "Okay, you have a deal. But I'm not doing this to help you or your war. I'm only doing this to protect my family, friends, and home."

"That's all I ask, milady," Prometheus answered, holding out his clawed hand. Lucy shook his hand, letting him doing the shaking since his hand completely swallowed her hand. "Just consider this an early warning that something bad may be coming your way," Prometheus added, "We will do everything we can to stay out of your life and keep it as peaceful as possible by keeping this war from your planet. For now, just go on like nothing is wrong."

"I can't do that," Lucy stated. "It will always be somewhere in the back of my mind tormenting me. Just promise me that you'll warn us if they break through your lines."

"It will be done, milady," Prometheus stated. "I am glad we could meet you on your wedding day and do wish you the very best; though I sincerely apologize for having to drop this terrible news on you on such a blessed day."

"It's okay," Kohta stated. "We've become somewhat used to having bad news dropped on us in the middle of good news."

"We should be getting home now," Fargo intruded. "Ron just informed me that the weather front is not too far off now."

"We should say goodbye to the elementals," Lucy stated, looking around. Surprise lit her face as she didn't see a single elemental, not even the Forest Spirit. "Where did they all go?"

"I don't know," Kohta replied. "But I did notice that they started vanishing into the forest a few minutes ago with the remaining Kodama."

"You are correct, Master Kohta. They left once their work was done here," Tora rumbled. "It's their way to leave without fanfare while no one is looking. But know that they will always be near if you need them. You should leave this place and ponder the new path you now tread. The storm front is advancing quickly, as Captain Fargo stated." With that, Tora melted into the forest. An icy wind picked up out of the northeast.

"Where is your dwelling, milady?" Prometheus asked.

"Two hours by foot down the mountain," Lucy said softly, fatigue becoming evident in her voice. "Definitely a long walk."

"Maybe we could assist you in returning to your home," Prometheus asked.

"How could you do that?" Nana asked.

"The same way I and my friends got here: the transporter," Prometheus stated, "all I need to know is exactly where you want to be left."

Lucy felt weary and increasingly drained. She didn't relish the walk back after such bad news literally from the sky. "Could you take everyone at once?" she asked.

"Not a problem," Ozzymandias declared. "This group is small compared to some we teleport."

"Is it safe?" Mayu asked.

"As safe as being in your bed," Tabitha replied. "Beaming is standard in our civilization. But your kind has yet to discover a safe means of matter teleportation."

The temperature began to plummet as the clouds lowered, driving the people to huddle together. Snow flake began floating down through the trees of the sacred grove. "The temperature is dropping fast, Lucy," Kohta observed, "and it's starting to snow. If we're leaving, we'd better do it now, whether we're walking out or using our friend's transporter, if that's what it really is."

The longer Lucy pondered the walk, the more she disliked it. Exhaustion gnawed on her like a dog chewing on an old bone. "Do you know of the spa facility down the mountain from here?" she asked Prometheus.

"Yes ma'am," Prometheus answered.

"Can you get us there?" she asked wearily. "I'm just so tired all of a sudden that I'm not sure I'd be able to make that walk home."

"I can see that," Prometheus stated as Ravenclaw approached Lucy. "I've noticed your complexion getting increasingly pale over the last half hour along with a weakness in your eyes."

"You look terrible, milady," Ravenclaw stated, checking her pulse. "We need to get you home now."

"Is the Queen ill?" Tabitha asked.

"Yes," Ravenclaw answered. "She's been fighting the flu and fatigue for several days. Apparently, the trek up here must have been a little harder on her than she realized."

"We may have something on the ship that could help her," Tabitha declared. "Is it okay to help, Admiral?"

"Yes, Tabitha," Prometheus stated, "it'll be fine to help her if she accepts it." He pulled out a small device and spoke into it. "Anubis, do you have a lock on my coordinates?"

A voice came out of the communicator saying, "Yes Admiral, your signal is locked in."

"We need an emergency transport, Anubis," Prometheus ordered. "The weather front moved quicker than anticipated."

"We've noticed that," Anubis replied through the communicator. "The low pressure front has bombed and is moving in very quickly. We're monitoring a band of heavy snow and wind that will reach your position in twenty minutes."

"This is not good news," Prometheus declared. "We need to move these humans out of danger quickly. Anubis, beam Tabitha and Nemesis to the ship immediately. Then lock in on my coordinates and beam me, Ozzymandias, and everyone with me to the spa facility down the mountain to the northeast from here. Once we're at the spa, send Tabitha and Dr. Karas with a medical kit down to the same location. The Queen has become ill and needs medical treatment."

"Aye sir," Anubis replied. "I'm locked in on Tabitha and Nemesis; Engaging transporter." Seconds later, a glow surrounded Tabitha and Nemesis. They vanished like a ghost when the glow disappeared. "Okay Admiral; I'm locked in on you, Ozzymandias and everyone around you," Anubis stated.

"Engage the beam, Anubis," Prometheus ordered and a glow surrounded the whole wedding party. In five seconds, the entire group vanished from the sacred grove, and then materialized just outside the entrance to the spa. Several people collapsed, disoriented by the teleportation. Lucy and Kohta looked at each other with astonishment when they realized that they had been transported instantaneously over seven kilometers. When they started to move, both of them staggered and would have fallen if Prometheus hadn't caught each of them. "Steady, your majesties…you aren't accustomed to our transporters. It takes a few moments for the mind and body to link back up after beaming for those who aren't used to it."

"What a strange experience," Ravenclaw commented as he felt his equilibrium finally stabilizing. "I could feel every atom of my body convert to energy and then back; and yet I remained conscious…Fascinating."

"It takes a few trips to become accustomed to the transporter," Ozzymandias declared, helping Ravenclaw to stand up.

Moments later, a crowd of diclonius and human workers had surrounded the group, being very intent on the giant cat holding Lucy and Kohta up and the werewolf standing next to Ravenclaw. "Who are you and what are you doing with Queen Lucy and Master Kohta?" the leader of the workers demanded, ready to pounce if he didn't like the answer.

"Stand down," Lucy called out weakly. "We're okay. These are new friends from a long ways away." She abruptly coughed with a deep broken cough that worried Kohta.

"And the werewolf?" another worker asked anxiously, extremely worried about the vicious-looking Ozzymandias.

"I am not a werewolf," Ozzymandias corrected. "I'm an Akkaidian."

The fact that Ozzymandias spoke clearly and intelligibly shocked many of the workers.

"The wolf is okay too," Kohta announced. "Seems we ran into some alien allies up on the mountain and these are two of them."

Between his words and Lucy's declaration, the workers went back to work, helping most of the wedding party into the spa lobby as snow began to fall. But they all kept a constant eye on the two massive aliens. Prometheus helped Kohta and Lucy into the building, sitting them down on a soft bench near the reception desk. Ozzymandias helped Mayu and Nana walk in, having noticing that Lucy and Kohta kept a very close eye on them the whole time while on the mountain. The warm lobby was a welcome change from the icy winds that had started biting at them while at the sacred grove.

Kohta noticed beads of sweat forming on Lucy's forehead as Ravenclaw approached. "Doctor, I think Lucy's got a fever again."

Ravenclaw touched her forehead with his hand and could feel the burning fever. Becoming concerned, he felt her pulse on the wrist. "This is not good," he declared. "She's definitely running a high fever and her pulse is high and erratic. She needs medicine from the Chimera."

"How sick is she?" Prometheus asked; his concern for her coming out in his soft tone.

"If she doesn't get some medicine to bring down the fever and calm her erratic heartbeat, it could be very bad for her," Ravenclaw stated. When Lucy coughed again, he added, "Sounds like the virus may have started settling in her lungs. We have to eradicate it before it causes too much damage."

"I see," Prometheus stated. Pulling out his communicator, he opened it and said, "Anubis; is Tabitha and the doctor ready to come down?"

"Yes," Anubis replied through the communicator. "They are stepping into the transporter now."

"Send them down now to these coordinates," Prometheus ordered. "The Queen's illness is accelerating. We need those meds now."

"Engaging the beam now," Anubis stated.

Two glowing figures formed near the front door, materializing into Tabitha and a two-meter tall human male in a doctor's uniform carrying a satchel. He had ice-blue eyes and brown hair. Once Tabitha and the doctor fully materialized, the man asked, "Where is she?"

"Over here, Dr. Karas," Prometheus called out. "The Queen has become quite ill in the last hour or so. Is there anything you can do for her?"

"Let's find out," Dr. Karas answered, quickly covering the distance between him and Lucy.

Lucy, Kohta, Mayu, Nana, Myra, Yuka, Rayden, and Ravenclaw stared in amazement when they saw Dr. Karas. "Are you a human?" Kohta asked Karas.

"Why yes I am," Karas stated. "It's a long story, but suffice it to say that this isn't the first time Prometheus and his friends have visited the Earth. They snatched me from a certain death twenty years ago when I was attacked and left for dead by the same rascals who experimented on the diclonius in Kamakura. They brought me in because of my medical knowledge and when I refused to help them, they tried to eliminate me."

"Kakuzawa again; even from his grave he continues to plague us!" Lucy hissed hoarsely. You needn't say another word." She sent a single vector into Karas's mind to test his intentions. When she saw that he was truly a human who not only wished to help her, but also had been a victim of Kakuzawa's evil ambitions, she retracted her vector. "I know who you are. How you came to be with these people because of Kakuzawa is not a story for now."

Karas blinked and shook his head after Lucy retracted her vector, feeling a bit strange, and temporarily off-balance. "Did you read my mind, milady?" he asked while opening his satchel.

"I did," Lucy murmured, leaning heavily against Kohta, who had his arm around her as they sat on the bench. "I had to be sure. You're okay."

"I thought so," Karas replied. "I've been probed by other telepaths so I felt it when you did me. Your method is a bit strange and confused me for just a moment."

"Sorry about that," Lucy answered, breaking into a fit of deep coughing that last for a few moment. When the coughing fit subsided, she added weakly, "This damnable flu bug has fucked with my ability to read minds without causing any discomfort."

"It's quite all right. No harm was done," Karas stated, pulling out a small device the size of a cellphone from his bag. Holding it up, he said, "I'm going to scan you first with this little gadget to see what's wrong. Is there anything about your condition that I need to know first?"

Kohta and Lucy looked at each other for a moment, and then Kohta said, "Lucy is pregnant, doctor."

"Did you know?" Karas asked Ravenclaw.

"Yes," Ravenclaw answered. "We found out this morning when she came to the infirmary on the Chimera because she was feeling ill. I found out when we diagnosed her symptoms. She has a case of the flu that is apparently worse than I thought along with heavy fatigue from everything that's happened. I treated the virus with an antiviral and some morphine because she was in pain. But it seems that the dose I gave her wasn't large enough to arrest the progression of the virus."

"What kind of antiviral did you use?" Karas asked as he began scanning Lucy with the little device.

"It's called ATXB," Ravenclaw stated. "It's a drug designed specifically to knock out this strain of the flu virus."

Karas moved the device from the crown of Lucy's head to her feet. He then looked at the display and frowned. "Not good," he said, "but not nearly as bad as it could be."

"What's wrong with Lucy?" Mayu asked. "Is she going to be all right?"

Karas glanced at Mayu with a smile. "Don't worry about Miss Lucy," he said, "Your doctor's diagnosis was correct. She did have a case of the flu. But that's not what's ailing her now. The germ has mutated into a highly aggressive viral infection that has moved into her lungs and developed into pulmonary pneumonia. That's why she's coughing, wheezing, and running a high fever of 40° Celsius. That's 104° Fahrenheit in the standard systems of the west. It's also why Dr. Ravenclaw's antiviral is ineffective. His drug wasn't designed to take out this mutated strain of the flu."

"How contagious is this new virus?" Myra asked. "I ask this because I was a specialist in viral weaponry when I was in the Special Forces in America. We may all be a risk if this contagion is airborne."

Karas looked at Myra with a sober expression. "And you should be concerned about this contagion," he said. "It's very virulent and is airborne. But don't worry. We have vaccine enough for everyone who has been exposed. I strongly suggest that we treat everyone who was at the wedding party and who had direct contact with them when they got back here."

"This sounds bad," Kohta commented, "I assume you have what we need to treat this germ so we don't all get sick from it?"

"I do," Karas replied. "In a way, it's good that we caught this mutation now before it had a chance to spread to the twins she's carrying. But we'll need some more of the vaccine from the ship to treat everyone. Admiral, please contact the ship and tell them to send down fifty units of vaccine XBYCT as a preventative measure."

"Of course, Dr. Karas," Prometheus answered, stepping outside into the falling snow to call the ship for the vaccines.

While Prometheus called for the additional medicine, Karas put away the scanner and pulled out another device that looked like a gun with a small syringe on it. It had a place where vials could be attached to it. After looking through his satchel, he pulled out a vial and snapped it into the device. Kohta immediately surmised was a sophisticated delivery system for the medicine. "This medicine will start to counteract the viral contagion in minutes, deaden your pain, and calm your irregular heartbeat. It also has a sedative to help you relax and promote your own body's healing processes," Karas explained. "But it will not remedy your fatigue. After you take this medicine, I strongly suggest that you go to bed and get some rest. It's very apparent that your illness has been brought on by excessive fatigue from your battles with the Chaos Lord. Do you want the medicine, milady?"

"Yes," Lucy wheezed, almost gasping for breath, "Anything to get rid of this shit."

"Okay," Karas replied, "I'm going to administer this directly into your neck. This may pinch a little." Pressing the barrel of the delivery system to Lucy's neck just below the jaw, he pulled the trigger. The device hissed as it delivered the vial's medicine directly into Lucy's bloodstream. Lucy grimaced as she felt the pain of the pinch, and then a sweeping feeling of relief as the meds began to work on the virus and her pain. Her breathing immediately became easier and not so raspy.

With a sigh, Lucy murmured "Thank you, Dr. Karas." Seconds later, she slumped into Kohta' arms, fast asleep as Prometheus came in from outside with another satchel.

"What did you do to her?" Kohta demanded.

Karas checked her vitals with the scanner and smiled. "It's okay, Master Kohta. She is just asleep. Apparently the sedative took effect much quicker than I anticipated, possibly because of her extreme fatigue." When Kohta examined Lucy closely through their special diclonius link, he saw that Lucy was merely asleep as the doctor said. Turning to Prometheus, Karas said, "Admiral, I should remain here to monitor her until she wakes, just in case. The sedative was only supposed to relax her, not knock her out. I want to be sure there aren't any side effects that may create complications for her unborn children."

"Very well, Dr. Karas," Prometheus stated. "Keep an eye on her until she wakes up. Tabitha, Ozzymandias, and I will return to the ship to secure the planet. Keep me updated on her progress." He then handed the satchel to the doctor and added, "Make sure to give the meds to everyone. We don't need this particular virus to be running rampant around here."

"Yes, Admiral," Karas replied with a relieved smile. "And thank you, Admiral. It's been far too long since I've walked my native soil again."

"I'm aware of that, doctor," Prometheus stated as Tabitha and Ozzymandias stood just behind him. Addressing Kohta, he said, "It was an honor to meet you and your bride, Master Kohta. But we have work to do. Protecting your planet from the corrupt Council's edict is a priority for us; however, we shall make sure your Queen has recovered before we leave this sector, Master Kohta. May you find the peace you and your Queen want in this tumultuous time; until we meet again, my friend." Prometheus bowed to Kohta, and then said into his communicator, "Anubis, three to beam up."

"Is the doctor coming up?" Anubis asked.

"Dr. Karas is staying behind for now to monitor the Queen's condition and insure her recovery," Prometheus answered. "Engage."

"We will always watch out for you from above," Tabitha called out as she, Prometheus, and Ozzymandias vanished in the glow of the transporter beam.

Kohta watched in fascination at the miracle of the transporter. Once Prometheus, Tabitha, and Ozzymandias were gone, Kohta said, "I'll never get used to seeing that."

Karas smiled warmly and put a friendly hand on Kohta's shoulder. "You'd eventually get used to it. I did. But we have work to do. Let's see to your bride first, and then I'll give everyone the inoculation against this nasty germ. Do you have somewhere we can put her? This lobby is not a good place with everyone coming and going."

"The master bedroom is prepared," Fargo said. "Master Kohta, pick up Lucy and bring her." Kohta picked up Lucy and followed Fargo to the master bedroom with Karas and Ravenclaw following close behind. Mayu, Nana, Yuka, Rayden, Myra, and Aiko followed them; gathering around the bed after Kohta had laid Lucy on it and covered her up to the waist with the blankets.

Karas sat down next to her and scanned her with his medical scanner. "Hmmm, interesting," he murmured.

"What is it?" Nana blurted out. "It's good news, I hope."

"Certainly, Miss," Karas replied with a smile. "It seems the medicine is working a little better than I thought. It's not only countering the mutated flu virus that is battering her, it has also strengthened her immune response to the contagion." His comments drew blank stares from Mayu and Nana, so he clarified by adding "In terms you can understand, it means Miss Lucy's immune system is now fighting the bug on its own. All it needed was a little booster shot to help it take care of the virus. She's going to be okay. All she needs now is some uninterrupted rest."

"Oh," Mayu and Nana cooed simultaneously.

Turning to Ravenclaw as he stood up, Karas said, "Please forgive me for taking over your patient, doctor. I only wanted to help. Please, check her out to see that I've given her a proper treatment."

"It's all right," Ravenclaw replied as he sat down next to Lucy, checking her pulse. "You had the medicine she needed when I didn't. Thank you for stepping in. It would have taken at least an hour or more to have gotten the medicine from the Chimera." He checked her eyes, seeing a good pupillary reaction. Laying his hand on her forehead and feeling just a slight fever, Ravenclaw commented, "The fever has indeed broken, but hasn't quite subsided to normal."

"Is that normal for this situation?" Kohta asked.

"Yes," Ravenclaw declared. "Lucy had a significant fever and erratic pulse before she was treated by Dr. Karas. But now the crisis time is behind her, thanks to our new friends from above."

"No thanks are necessary," Karas stated. "What Miss Lucy and Master Kohta did in destroying that Dark Lord is thanks enough. If Calidor had escaped this planet, his poison would have doomed the galaxy. But he didn't and now we only have to deal with his minions on the Eternal Council and not him or his brothers. Now that Miss Lucy has stabilized, let me start inoculating everyone; you first, Master Kohta. Roll up your sleeve, if you please."

Kohta pulled up his sleeve as Karas snapped another vial into the dispenser. "Is that the same stuff you gave Lucy?" he asked.

"No," Karas replied. "It doesn't have the other meds in it; only the antivirals I gave Miss Lucy. No need in giving you something you really don't need."

"I agree," Kohta stated as Karas administered the shot painlessly into Kohta's bicep muscle.

"There," Karas announced. "This shot should keep you from coming down with the same illness that's gripping Miss Lucy. Who's next?"

"That would be me," Fargo stated, rolling up his sleeve. Once he received the inoculation, he said, "Looks like things are settling down now. If you will excuse me, Master Kohta, I have other tasks that need my attention; such as getting provisions here for you before the storm gets any worse."

"Of course, Captain," Kohta replied. "Go and take care of things. We have this under control now."

Fargo bowed and walked away. As he was about to leave the room, Kohta called out, "And Captain, thank you for marrying me and Lucy. You don't know what it means to us to be legally married by you. No one else would have done it."

"It was my honor and distinct pleasure to have been able to marry you and Lucy, Master Kohta," Fargo answered with a smile. "I don't get to do that very often and even less for a couple I've come to see as family. I and the crew of the Chimera love you dearly and see you as part of our family. If you ever need anything from us, don't hesitate to ask. Now, on to work; if you will excuse me, the provisioning here needs my attention." Fargo bowed again and left the room.

"He really cares for you, doesn't he Master Kohta?" Karas observed as he administered the medicine to Mayu. Seconds later, he gave Rayden the inoculation.

"Yeah," Kohta replied. "He does. We've been together through so much; and without his ship, we may have never survived long enough to have beaten Calidor and saved ourselves from annihilation."

"I suggest that we leave Master Kohta and Lucy alone so she can get some rest," Rayden suggested. "There's nothing we can do at this point but wait for her to wake up."

"The gentleman I correct," Dr. Karas agreed. "Now we need to just back off and let the medicine do its work. Miss Lucy is going to be fine. She just needs some rest. But let me give the rest of you the vaccine before you leave. Then I'll need someone to help me find the rest of the guests at your wedding so they can be protected too."

"I'll help you locate the rest of the guests," Ravenclaw stated. Dr. Karas nodded as he moved on with his work vaccinating everyone.

Mayu and Nana looked to Kohta for confirmation. "Lucy's going to be okay. I'll stay with her for right now to be sure. Go on and explore our new home," Kohta ordered pleasantly, interpreting the looks on their faces.

"You're sure you don't need us?" Nana asked as she received the necessary protective dose of the vaccine.

"Not right now, Nana," Kohta stated. "You and Nana go and check out our new home for yourselves. I'm sure there are things about this place Fargo didn't show us. If I need anything, I'll let you know. The same goes for you, Yuka. Look around this place and make sure everything is like you want it. You are, after all, the number one mom around here."

Yuka blushed at Kohta's comment as Karas gave her the vaccine. "Okay Kohta," Yuka murmured, rubbing her arm where the doctor had given her the shot. "We'll check out the house with Mayu and Nana."

"Aiko and I will join you," Myra announced, receiving the vaccine as she spoke. "Looks like Lucy has stabilized and getting some much needed rest. Let's not interrupt it." With that Myra led Mayu, Nana, Yuka, and Rayden out of the room.

Aiko limped to the side of the bed and leaned down to touch Lucy's hand. "Watch over her, Master Kohta," Aiko ordered, "…and let me know when she wakes up. She's my best friend in the whole world."

"I will, Aiko," Kohta answered, noticing the tears in her eyes and her weak complexion. "Looks like you could use some rest yourself. You appear to be a bit under the weather too. Maybe that walk up the mountain sapped you like it did Lucy."

Hearing the implication, Ravenclaw looked Aiko over as she stood there. "Kohta may be right," Ravenclaw stated, seeing Aiko's drained look in her face and eyes. "You look a little weak. Let's get you checked out to make sure you don't have any unwanted passengers like Lucy has. Dr. Karas, would you care to assist me?"

"Sure; besides, she needs to be protected from this virus as well. Let me see your arm, Miss Takada," Karas stated as gently gave her the shot. "There now, all done except for you, Dr. Ravenclaw."

Ravenclaw took the shot with good humor and then put his arm around Aiko, saying, "Come on Aiko; let's go get you checked out." Aiko nodded, and allowed Ravenclaw and Karas to escort her out of the master bedroom.

Just before he closed the door, Karas called out to Kohta, "Let me know the moment Miss Lucy wakes, Master Kohta; and let me know if you have any ill effects from the vaccine. Yours and Lucy's survival are on top of my list of priorities here."

"Okay," Kohta replied, after which Karas closed the door. A deep sigh escaped Kohta's lips as he turned and covered Lucy up to her neck with the blankets. "Sleep well, Lucy. Maybe this time we can get rid of the bug that's got you so sick." He removed his coat, lying down next to her on top of the blankets. The moment his head hit the pillow, he began to drift off to sleep as evening fell; a sleep that was troubled by the news Prometheus had brought about the threat from a corrupt Eternal Council he never dreamed existed.

The next morning Kohta was awakened by someone nudging him gently. "Kohta, wake up Kohta," Lucy called to him softly.

He stirred and his eyes opened, seeing Lucy hovering over him still wearing her wedding dress and a puzzled look on her face. "Oh…you're awake," Kohta murmured with a yawn.

"What's going on, Kohta," she asked intensely. "Why am I still wearing my wedding dress?"

"You don't remember this afternoon?" Kohta replied, sitting up.

"What do you mean? It's morning," Lucy declared.

"Morning?" Kohta asked with astonishment as he looked at the clock on the nightstand, which showed 9 AM. "Damn…I must have so tired I slept the whole night without waking. How are you feeling?"

"Okay I guess," Lucy stated, sitting down with her hands in her lap. "But I'm still weak and feel like I'm missing something. Something happened to me after the ceremony, Kohta. What was it?"

"You don't remember anything after Fargo married us?" Kohta asked.

"Not really," Lucy answered, "…everything is kind of hazy. I remember feeling very sick shortly after finding out about the shit from those alien cats. Then everything became a blur. I don't even remember coming back here."

"You got really sick after the wedding, Lucy," Kohta explained. "It may have been from the climb to the sacred grove. If Prometheus hadn't teleported us back to the spa, we would have been caught in that snow storm. When we got back here, he sent for some medicine from his space ship and they treated you. Apparently, the flu virus you caught mutated into a particularly nasty virus that could have killed you if Dr. Karas had showed up with the medicine to deal with it. When he gave you the shot of medicine, you blacked out. That was about five o'clock yesterday evening. Because of the virulence of it, Dr. Karas gave us all an immunization against that particular mutation; something he's obviously encountered before otherwise he would not have had such a vaccine. After you blacked out from the medicine, I brought you in here so you could sleep without being disturbed. I didn't bother to even undress you before I put you in the bed. That's why you still have your wedding dress on."

"Oh," Lucy murmured. "Okay." A very concerned look crossed her face. "What about my unborn children? Did the virus hurt them?"

"Not that we can tell," Kohta replied. "According to Dr. Karas, we caught the virus before it could create complications for the children."

Lucy closed her eyes and concentrated on her own body and the fetuses gestating in her womb. Seconds later, relief flooded her face. "They're okay, Kohta. I can sense it."

"That's good," Kohta replied, putting his arm around her. "We can't let anything happen to our children." Just then a knock came to their door. "Who is it?" Kohta called out.

"It's Dr. Ravenclaw and Dr. Karas," Ravenclaw's voice replied through the door. "We're checking up on Lucy."

"Come in," Lucy called out.

The door slid open and Ravenclaw stepped into the room with Karas, who carried his medical satchel. "Ah, you're finally awake, Miss Lucy," Karas crowed pleasantly. "This is a good sign. How are you feeling now?"

"Still tired, but otherwise okay," Lucy stated. "I don't seem to remember much after getting sick at the wedding."

"It's most likely a side-effect of the illness," Karas stated, pulling his medical scanner out of his satchel. "Your memory should return shortly. In the meantime, let's see how you are progressing." He scanned Lucy from head to toe with his scanner. A smile swept across his face. "Looks like you're well on your way to recuperating from this bout and even better, it the illness doesn't seem to have harmed your children. We were fortunate to have treated this virus before it did irreparable damage to you. How's your appetite?"

"I'm just a bit hungry," Lucy stated, "…and thirsty."

"Good, good," Karas chimed as he put his scanner away. "I suggest you get something to eat and relax for the day. You still need to rebuild your strength."

"How long are you going to stay, Dr. Karas?" Kohta asked.

"Oh just a day or two to make sure there aren't any complications to the vaccine I treated everyone with," Karas stated. "In 98% of the cases, any ill effects from the vaccine show up within 36 hours of getting the shot. If anyone has trouble with it, I have the means to remedy it. But I don't think anyone is going to have trouble with this vaccine. Our labs on the flagship are the best in the galaxy and the vaccines are manufactured with the greatest of care to do the most good, unlike the vaccines your governments give you. The vaccines the governments of this world give its people are laced with all manner of toxic brews and genetically altered proteins that are designed to decimate the immune system, not enhance it as a means of population control. It's all part of the eugenics program they have and unfortunately, the diclonius ended up on the cutting edge of these programs as guinea pigs."

"You don't have to remind me," Lucy said coldly. "I am more than aware of what the governments of this planet are trying to do to us."

"But that world has been demolished by Calidor's evil," Ravenclaw said, "and those programs with it. We are building a new world now from the ashes of the old. Maybe we can get it right this time."

"Amen to that," Kohta chimed. "So let's leave that old world buried and not bring up old ghosts that should be left locked in the dark dimensions. Let's only remember them so we don't make the same mistakes they did."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Karas agreed wholeheartedly. "We have a new beginning in front of us. I think what's going on outside really emphasizes that point." He walked to the large window and opened the closed curtains, revealing a 50 centimeter deep blanket of snow covering the world outside the spa with the snow still falling heavily. Gesturing out the window, Karas said, "I have always loved the snow. There's nothing like the purity of it and its ability to block out the bad things in life. It makes me think there's always a chance to begin anew."

Lucy's eyes grew wide as she realized how close she had cut it with her wedding in the sacred grove. "Oh my god," she murmured, "I didn't think it was going to snow this much. I cut it way too close going up the mountain. I must thank the Admiral for his timely rescue of everyone."

"No thanks are necessary," Karas stated. "He did it because it was the right thing to do. It's what friends do for one another. But I'll relay the message to him if you want me to."

"I'd like that," Lucy stated, walking slowly to the window with Kohta, who was gawking at the snowstorm raging around them.

When Kohta found his tongue, he said, "I've never seen it snow like this. Have you, Lucy?"

"No," Lucy replied. "Not in my entire life. It's such a beautiful thing to see too. It makes me feel like I made the right choice."

"You did make the right choice," Ravenclaw stated. "Don't ever stray from that belief. You saved us all from oblivion."

Karas bowed to Lucy and Kohta. "Since you're well on the mend, Dr. Ravenclaw and I have other errands to run, Miss Lucy. If you will excuse us, we will go now."

"One question before you go, Dr. Karas," Kohta said.

"Sure Master Kohta," Karas replied. "What do you want to know?"

"I assume you have encountered the mutation that got Lucy before, otherwise you would not have had the vaccine for it," Kohta suggested.

"True," Karas stated as it dawned on him what Kohta wanted to know. "You want to know where I encountered this germ before, right?"

"Yes, doctor," Kohta replied.

"I encountered this mutation twenty years ago just before Kakuzawa tried to kill me," Karas stated. "It was one of his pet germ warfare experiments. This mutation was designed to masquerade as a regular flu germ until it found someone with diclonius DNA, and then take them out. He was trying to make a superbug that only he had the antidote to but it just didn't work for him. The virus wasn't efficient enough in its lethality so he scrapped the program in favor of the Lazarus project. But don't get me wrong, this germ is a particularly nasty one that has apparently mutated from its original purpose to attack all humans, not just those with the diclonius DNA." He saw the sour look on their faces and added, "You know what Lazarus is, don't you?"

"Yes," Lucy hissed venomously. "We still have that monstrosity still roaming the earth. His name is Bandoh."

"What?" Karas asked, stunned by the news. "You mean Kakuzawa actually succeeded in resurrecting someone from the dead using diclonius material?"

"He did," Kohta growled. "And he's been a thorn in our side ever since. If you want to know the details of Lazarus, talk to Fargo. He has the file on the Chimera."

"Holy shit," Karas replied. "I'll definitely have to look at that. And you say the product is called Bandoh and he's still alive?"

"Yes," Lucy stated. "He's like a roach you can't kill. He's been hunting me since I escaped from the Institute. From what I understand, Kohta killed him with his own gun when he attacked us at Kaeda house."

Karas looked to Kohta and he nodded. "It's true," Kohta stated, "That maniac was on a search and destroy mission. He was going to kill us all because we were associated with Lucy. I blew his chest out with that .50 caliber cannon he carried. That was before I became a hybrid."

"That's fascinating," Karas declared.

"You wouldn't think it's fascinating if it were you that he was after," Lucy hissed. "He's a danger to everyone because he can't give up his hate and rage. It drives him. He's a walking time bomb waiting to explode and become another Calidor."

"Oh dear," Karas breathed. "I can see this is a sore place for you so I'll not pry into it any further. Just understand that when I found out that they were using testing on live diclonius subjects, I walked away with a number of their secrets, including their bioweapons program and the diclonius program and they tried to kill me for it. They ran me off the 787 coming down to the bridge so it would look like an accident. Prometheus apparently was watching from orbit when it happened and transported me to the ship. They saved my life and after that, I became their human liaison. That's how I knew about the mutated flu that got you, Miss Lucy."

Lucy smiled at Karas. "That took guts to do something like that. I'm glad Prometheus saved you back then."

"So am I," Karas agreed. "If he hadn't, I wouldn't have been here to give you the proper medication to take care of the virus you came down with. Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

"No," Kohta stated. "That's enough for now. Don't let us hold you up." Karas and Ravenclaw bowed again and walked out, closing the door behind them. Kohta looked at Lucy and shook his head. "Seems like everything is coming full circle here," he said softly. "It started with the Institute and it's ending with it. I sure am glad that someone knew where that germ came from and had the means to deal with it."

"So do I," Lucy replied. "Who would have believed that I could have caught a mutated germ warfare bug designed by Kakuzawa after everything that's happened? Even from his grave he still tries to ruin us."

"But again, he has failed," Kohta declared. "His bioweapon failed as he did. We caught it and dealt with it before his weapons could destroy us. You hear that Kakuzawa! Even from the pits of hell in the darkest chaos dimension, you cannot destroy us! You shall never destroy us, ever! We shall have a new life without your damnable influence on us!" Kohta shook his fists at the floor as if he were Kakuzawa were below him.

Lucy broke out laughing. She made a raspberry at the floor going "Thhhppt! Naa naa, you lose bastard; Burn in the darkest depths for all eternity, Kakuzawa!" She put her arms around Kohta and kissed him. "We did it, Kohta. We finally won our freedom."

"That we did," Kohta stated, holding Lucy close. "So since we have won our freedom from that nightmare, are you ready to start a new life with me in the light of day?"

Lucy kissed him gently on the lips again. "Yes, Kohta; it's time we made our own destiny and life together in this new day and age. And my destiny right now has me going to get something to eat. Are you with me?"

"Of course," Kohta replied. "But first let's change into something a bit more comfortable." Lucy nodded and within two minutes, they had found their respective dressers and changed into something much less formal. Kohta put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt while Lucy donned a plain tan dress with a wool sweater and knee socks. Kohta opened the door and they stepped out of their new bedroom into a new life as the Queen and King of all the diclonius in a world that remained in violent flux from the catastrophic events that reshaped the world in the dawn of the Diclonius Age.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: This is it; the requiem has been sung leaving Lucy and Kohta standing as the victors over the evils of Kakuzawa, who unwittingly unleashed the hell of Calidor on an unsuspecting world. Only a few more details are left to take care of. Read the final chapter for the final wrap up to see if Lucy and Kohta finally get the peace they want or if something else wishes to intrude on their lives and disturb their peace as the new queen and king of the diclonius universe.

As always, reviews are welcome. Be honest but kind.

Beowulf Caverias


	47. Chapter 47 The Dark Soul

Chapter 47

The Dark Soul

Ten months after the wedding as the Chimera patrolled the waters around Hokkaido, Lucy and Kohta stood looking at the new personal retreat they had just finished building on the site of Rayden's parent's home. The small two-story cottage was roughly half the size of the Kaeda House with a kitchen, living room, two baths, and four bedrooms. It had been carefully built so it didn't sit on the old house site; disturb the graves of Izanami, Rayden, or their parents under the ancient oak that formed the centerpiece of their yard area; or the forest itself. They gazed at the stone walls, reinforced windows and doors, the shingled roof made of slate, and the chimneys on each end of the cottage with some satisfaction. Standing with them were Mayu and Nana, each of them holding one of Lucy's two twins, who had been born without complications just a month earlier. Both infants were wrapped in blankets despite the warmth of the late summer sun. Mayu held the boy with great care; rocking him gently as he cooed. His diclonius horns were clearly visible, as were his sister's cat-ear horns. Nana held the diclonius girl with equal care, paying close attention to the girl's needs. She was a bit nervous holding Lucy's baby and it showed. Yuka stood next to Nana trying to get her to relax while holding the baby. Rayden stood beside Kohta and put a friendly hand on Kohta's shoulder as they surveyed their work. "It's a fine house, Kohta," Rayden crowed. "It'll do well for your private retreat."

"Yes," Kagami agreed as she stood next to Lucy. "It's an excellent sanctuary from the world. The fact it was made with the help and the love of your friends makes it that much more precious."

"So it does," Lucy replied; looking around and noticing that many of her other friends had come too. Fargo stood just beyond Rayden. Sen, Aiko, Ravenclaw, Dr. Quang, Cai, Charlene, Susan, Duncan, Tao, Li Mei, Captain Guildo, and Myra were also present. "Thank you for helping me to build this place, everyone. Now Kohta and I have a place we can come when we need to be alone. I just wish the Forest Spirit was here so I could thank him for his permission to build here."

"Oh, it's a little thing," Charlene stated. "I'm sure he's here right now watching us as he always does."

"You're very welcome, milady," Guildo replied. "It was most kind of the elementals to help us get the materials and provide a secure water source for the cottage inside the house."

"I guess they must be making up for not helping in taking out Calidor," Kohta suggested. "Still, I'm glad they helped. The earth elemental made dealing with the stone so much easier."

"Indeed," Fargo agreed. "Now your retreat is finished and ready for you to move in anytime you wish."

"You'll definitely not be bothered way up here," Ravenclaw stated. "But it does make it a bit difficult to reach you in case of an emergency."

"That's the whole point," Lucy stated. "When I come up here, it means I don't want to be disturbed by anyone. This is our personal space, me and Kohta, and no one else."

"We understand," Li Mei stated. "Tao and I had a similar place back in Tibet; a little place away from the main community where we could be alone so it's not something new to us."

"I agree," Tao stated. "But I'm curious as to why you brought your little ones with you this morning? They are still very young and fragile."

"I brought them because they belong here," Lucy replied coolly. "They must know their roots as I do. Besides, I want them to meet the Forest Spirit."

"Is that so," a familiar voice echoed from the woods beyond the cottage. "Then maybe I should meet them." Everyone looked to the sound and saw the giant antlers of the Forest Spirit as he slowly came out of the underbrush. A hush came over everyone present. Only the infants cooed and murmured as the giant creature walked over. "Let's see your progeny, my Queen."

Mayu carefully handed the boy to Lucy and Nana gingerly handed the girl to Kohta. Nana was relieved to be free of holding the little girl. Lucy and Kohta took the twins to the Forest Spirit so he could see them clearly.

"Oh, they are so full of life and innocence," the Forest Spirit murmured, leaning down to look at them closely. "What did you name them?"

"Lucy and I debated for days about what to call them," Kohta stated. "But we finally decided to name them in honor of Rayden and Izanami's parents. I'm holding Yuki, and Lucy is holding Mamoru. We did this as a way to help them to rest in peace."

"These twins are very special," the Forest Spirit stated. "Just as Rayden and Izanami was the root of you, these two will be the father and mother of a whole new race of diclonius who will eventually bring balance back to this world and maybe even the galaxy. Guard these two with your lives for they are the harbingers of a brighter future for all of us. Teach them the ways of light and life and steer them away from the darkness that continues to war with us. I give my blessing on these two precious souls that they may not be taken by the darkness." The Forest Spirit then leaned down and touched each of their foreheads with his nose, almost like he was kissing them. When he touched them, the twins cackled with joy. "There; I have given each of them a special gift that will help them survive in this chaotic world. These gifts will manifest when their vectors emerge and only when needed."

"Thank you, Forest Spirit," Lucy said gratefully. "It does my heart good to see your approval of my children. I swear we will bring them up right so they don't have to walk the same bloody path I did."

"Unfortunately, that is not for you to decide," the Forest Spirit stated. "As it is with all beings, only they can decide whether or not to follow your teachings and not walk the path you did when the time comes. But fear not, this is a new day the day of their choice lies many years from now. Enjoy this time with your children while you can and let your love for them guide their steps."

"We will," Kohta stated. "And thank you for allowing us to build this retreat on this holy spot. It means the world to Lucy and Rayden to have a place here they can call home."

"You are most welcome," the Forest Spirit replied. "By coming to us for help in building the dwelling, we were able to build it without disrupting the forest. This is a sanctuary for you and your family. As long as we rule this forest, it will remain hidden from the outside world so that you may have a place of peace. But take care when you go down the mountain. I'm sensing a dark soul intruding into my forest. I fear he may be in search of you, my Queen, but he has yet to cause any trouble."

Lucy suddenly felt a twinge in her diclonius telepathy; a familiar dark signature that caused her countenance to fall. "I feel him," she hissed. "It's Bandoh. He's coming for us."

"Bandoh?" Kohta replied with dismay, also feeling Bandoh's presence. "What the hell does he want with us now? He promised to leave us alone forever!"

"Dark souls such as his seldom honor their word," the Forest Spirit declared. "I will go now and send Tora to monitor his progress."

"No," Lucy replied. "This is between him and me. It's been that way since I maimed him that first time. Don't interfere with him. I will deal with this myself."

"And so will I," Kohta announced. "I'm not letting that maniac near our kids." He handed little Yuki to Li Mei, saying, "Take them back to the spa and protect them with your life."

"Of course, Master Kohta," Li Mei replied, cradling little Yuki in her arms.

"Take Mamoru, Tao," Lucy ordered, "…and keep him safe with Yuki and the rest of my family while Kohta and I take care of this problem."

"As you wish, milady," Tao answered, gently taking Mamoru from Lucy. "You can count on us."

"I know I can," Lucy stated. "Now everyone get back to the spa, and don't come out until we get back. Come on, Kohta. I'm going to put a stop to Bandoh's meddling for good this time."

"If you don't, I will. We can't have a predator like him skulking about trying to ruin our peace," Kohta hissed as he and Lucy darted into the forest on the hunt for Bandoh as the Forest Spirit disappeared into the forest again.

"Let's do what she says," Li Mei called out and everyone headed back to the spa.

Bandoh trudged along the ridge line until he came to a bowl-shaped hollow with colossal trees in its base and a stream running through it. He started down into the ancient grove and suddenly stopped. Looking around, Bandoh felt a chill run down his spine. "God damn…this is about the most beautiful place I've ever seen," he muttered, impressed with the grandeur of the place. "But there's something awful strange about this place." He heard water gurgling in the base of the hollow and thirst pushed him forward. In minutes, he reached a pool at the base of a waterfall. Dropping to his knees, he cupped his hands together and drank greedily from the pure stream.

After drinking a few handfuls of water, he became woozy and sat down on the bank. "Shit," he cursed. "Now I'm dizzy. Stop spinning, damn it!" Holding his head in his hands, he groaned and before he could think, Bandoh slumped over on the moss-covered ground unconscious.

In the darkness, a voice called to him. "What are you doing here in my forest, Bandoh? You promised to leave Queen and her family alone forever. Don't forget the reason you were brought back from the other side."

Before he could answer the voice from the darkness, he snapped awake, finding himself completely immobilized by a cocoon of a very familiar set of vectors and no way to summon his own vectors. When he started to struggle, Lucy hissed, "Forget it, Bandoh. You're not getting away and you're not using your vectors against us. I made sure of it. Now what the fuck are you doing here on Hokkaido? You gave us your word that when we left the Nexus, that's the last we'd see of you."

Bandoh focused his vision and saw Lucy hovering over him and Kohta standing beside her with a furious look on his face. Realizing that he was caught and that he didn't have the power to break free of Lucy, his face twisted into a sadistic smile. "So I didn't have to come looking for you. You saved me the trouble."

Kohta bloodied Bandoh's nose with a vector punch. "You have some nerve stalking us like this. Give us one good reason why Lucy shouldn't send you back into that abyss you crawled out of."

"She and I have unfinished business, you little shit," Bandoh snapped.

Lucy throttled him with a vector and hissed icily, "Don't you speak to Kohta like that, you fucking mongrel. I ought to kill you for going back on your word and coming after us."

Bandoh gasped as she let off her choke hold on him. When he regained his breath, he snarled, "Still vicious as ever I see."

"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked in a slow deliberate manner. "This is the last time I'm asking. This is a sacred place under my protection. You are not welcome here or anywhere else on this island. Now if you don't want me to send you to be with Calidor in your physical state, then you had better start talking."

The threat shook Bandoh because he knew she had the means to execute her threat. Moreover, he didn't want to ever see Calidor ever again. "Okay, enough…I give," Bandoh replied. "There's no need for such threats. We have unfinished business that I need to take care of from the battle."

"And what would that be?" Kohta snarled coldly. "I seem to remember that it was you who betrayed us in that fight."

"It was all part of the plot," Bandoh blurted out. "We had to be smarter and more devious than Calidor to get him to let his guard down. Handing you over the way I did was the only way to get you into place so you could deal with him."

"Enough of this," Lucy growled. "You have thirty seconds to make your peace with me before I take you away from here and rip you to pieces. I don't care if you are a hybrid. You're an unbalanced dark soul that will continually be a blot on my peace until I get rid of you permanently."

A very human chill raced down Bandoh's spine. "You don't have to do that," Bandoh replied fearfully. "I promise I'll never come near you again. I swear it. Just listen."

"Twenty seconds," Lucy said icily, tightening down slightly on her vector to make Bandoh squirm.

"Everyone got what they wanted except me," Bandoh wheezed. "You apparently found what you wanted, but I didn't. I'm a lost soul wandering the earth with nothing to live for. I must know: for you, what makes life worth living for?"

The question startled Lucy and she relaxed her vector cocoon slightly, allowing him to breathe. "That's not the sort of question I would expect from you," Lucy stated coolly.

"I've watched you all this time and seen that you fight for life even when all seems lost," Bandoh stated. "I must know what makes you fight so hard to live when dying would be so much easier."

Lucy leaned down until she was nose to nose with Bandoh as he lay on the ground. With a blazing light in her eyes, she said deliberately, "I live and fight for every breath because of Kohta. He saved me from the abyss that threatens to consume you. He taught me the meaning of love and life and forgiveness. Life is worth living because I have Kohta to share it with. It probably means nothing to your dark soul, but love and life is why I live and fight to survive. Every soul has a right to live in the light, even a pestilent maggot like you. You roam the darkness that I used to inhabit. If you want to find a reason for living, I suggest that you let go of your hate and rage and find someone that will help you to tame your baser instincts like Kohta did for me."

"He did that for you?" Bandoh asked, astounded.

"He did," Lucy replied icily. "Until you let go of your hate for me and Kohta, you will never be free and find the will to truly live. Until you do that, you will be alone and never be happy. Death and killing is no way to live. Why do you think I repeatedly let you live when I could have easily snuffed you out like a candle? Why do you think I don't just squash you like a bug now? It's because I became weary with the blood, the anger, hate, and tears. Does that answer your question?"

For once, Bandoh was without words. Lucy had torn off the cover to his heart and laid it bare with her words. "Well?" Kohta asked. "Is your unfinished business with Lucy now finished?"

A deep, troubled sigh escaped Bandoh's lips. "I guess it does," he said softly. "It's not the answer I hoped for, but it will have to do."

"What answer did you want?" Lucy asked sharply. "That I found life worth living because I finally got revenge on all who wronged me? That's the mentality that kept me locked in the darkness. You have to let go of your hate and desire to avenge yourself. Until you do, you will remain locked in that dark abyss of hate and despair with no hope of escape. You have to stop thinking of yourself and think of someone else for once. Isn't there anyone out there you care for?"

"Not anymore," Bandoh replied. "They died long ago."

"That's too bad," Kohta said coldly. "You'll never be free as long as you keep people locked out of your life. You have to give people a chance. Not all of them are selfish shits like you that only look out for number one."

"That's easy for you to say," Bandoh chided. "You have people who care for you."

"You're such an idiot, Bandoh," Lucy hissed. "You completely missed what he was saying. I was like you, but I found a way out. You can too."

"It's too late for me," Bandoh stated gloomily. "I was damned the moment I agreed to hunt you."

"And you call me dense?" Kohta rebuked. "You really are a fucking idiot! You're not hearing what we're saying. We have a chance here to start over. Everyone does and that includes you. Don't throw it away. You have the opportunity like Rayden to tread a different path and live a different life. Only one person in a zillion has that chance. Don't throw it away, you dumb shit. There's someone out there who will help you the same way I helped Lucy. You just have to find her."

"Don't patronize me," Bandoh hissed. "I know there's no one out there for me. Who could love this misshapen creature I've become?"

"I do not know," Lucy said coldly as she stood up. "But I do know this. You'll never find anyone if you cling to the darkness that drives you now. No one is going to put up with that shit or you if you do. You have to let go of that darkness otherwise it'll consume you again. This is your chance to walk a new path of your choosing and no one else's. If the darkness takes you again, I will kill you myself and this time there will be no coming back. I'm not going to have you threaten us or anyone else with your evil. Now leave this island and never return. If you set foot on Hokkaido again or come anywhere near us, I will chop you into fish bait while you still breathe and scatter your pieces to every corner of the planet. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear," Bandoh answered with a cold chill chasing down his spine. "You will not see my face again, ever."

"Good," Lucy stated as she released him. "You will have use of your vectors in a day. That's how long you have to get off this island. Now go and never stain this holy place with your vile presence again. And if you think you can hide from me, think again. I can find you anywhere on this planet. I stopped the Chinese Prime Minister's heart from the Chimera. Don't think I can't do the same to you. Now get the fuck off this island and not come back. I'll be watching to make sure you leave the island."

Bandoh took off running down the mountain back the way he came. He knew she was right in what he had to do, but it didn't mean he had to like it. As he fled down the mountain, he glimpsed a giant tiger following at a distance as if it were hunting him. "I've got to get the fuck away from this place," he muttered gloomily. "It was a mistake for me to have come here thinking to get the best of that bitch. She's just too much for me now. But at least I know now why she fights so hard to live. Maybe she's got a point. Maybe I need to look for another reason other than killing her to live." The thought startled Bandoh, but not enough to stop him from moving.

Back in the sacred grove, Lucy sighed deeply as Kohta put his arm around her. He noticed she was trembling. "It's okay Lucy. You can calm down now. I think we scared him straight this time."

"I hope so for his sake," Lucy growled. "I'm not going to have him anywhere near our children. My threat wasn't an idle one. If he so much as sets a toe on this island ever again, I'll cut him down here he stands. He has to find is way without us. It's the path he chose now he has to walk it."

"What do you mean, Lucy?" Kohta asked as they started down the mountain towards the spa.

"Bandoh won't let go of his hate for us," Lucy stated. "He can't. It's who he is, so he has to find his own way out of the hell he made for himself."

"I'm not so sure about that, Lucy," Kohta replied. "Yes he's consumed with his hatred of us, but he's wanted to know how you freed yourself from the same chains that bind him. To me that seem like someone who is looking for redemption. Whether or not he can break those chains remains to be seen. But I think he's looking for a reason to keep going beyond that of his hate for us."

"Don't you dare defend him," Lucy snapped. "He broke his promise and came after us again. He's not going to change."

"Were you so different?" Kohta chided. "It took my unconditional love and forgiveness to save you. I believe Bandoh can be redeemed too if he can find someone who will accept him for who he is like I did you. You know this is true."

"Maybe," Lucy conceded. "But as long as he holds to the darkness, he is a threat to our family. By all that's holy, I should have finished him off."

"But you didn't," Kohta stated. "And I think you didn't because deep down you see the same thing I do. Bandoh is looking for redemption just like you were. Let him go, Lucy. Do you know what I saw there in the sacred grove?"

"What did you see?" Lucy asked.

"I saw a lost soul searching for a reason to live," Kohta stated. "As much as I despise him, I had to pity his pathetic state. He's totally lost in this new world and doesn't know who to turn to for help. He's always been one to do things on his own, but now he's realizing that there are times when everyone needs a helping hand, even if it comes from your enemy. Furthermore, I don't think he really sees us as enemies anymore, otherwise he would not have come by himself."

"You do have a point," Lucy stated. "His question did catch me off guard. I never thought I'd see him asking me for the meaning of life."

"Life can be very quirky in its twists and turns," Kohta answered. "I came with you prepared to kill Bandoh myself for coming after us, but when I saw him, I had a change of heart. He's a rough crude warrior who's fought tooth and nail for his whole life. Now things have changed along with him. He's beginning to see there's another way other than blood and death. If I were in charge, I'd let him go, as you did, but if he ever were to return, I'd test his intentions before killing him. Maybe someday he'll find what we found and may want to return to thank us."

"That's not apt to happen," Lucy stated. "He's a bad dog and will always have that mentality."

"I'm not arguing that," Kohta replied. "All I'm suggesting is that if the son of a bitch ever comes back to Hokkaido, don't arbitrarily kill him. Find out why he's come back and if he comes back for revenge, then wipe him out. But don't kill him before you know for sure why he's here. Is that so much to ask?"

A soft smile crossed Lucy's lips. "You have such a way with words, Kohta. You always know what to say to calm my anger. Okay, I won't kill him before finding out why he's here if the shit ever comes back. But if he attacks anyone out of malice, his ass is grass and I'm the lawnmower."

"Fair enough," Kohta stated. "I couldn't ask any more of you. Even a lousy shit like Bandoh deserves one last chance to redeem his soul. Maybe this time he'll get it right."

"He'd better," Lucy warned, "because my patience with him is running out. This is his last reprieve. The next time he crosses us, he's dead."

"So he is," Kohta agreed, not willing to argue with Lucy any longer about Bandoh. "Let's just leave him to his fate and get on with our lives without him."

"Okay," Lucy said, "Let's hurry back to the spa and tell everyone the danger is passed." Kohta nodded and they picked up their pace.

The sun was sinking below the mountains in the west when Lucy and Kohta returned to their home in the spa. Guards were posted around the facility, with Tao standing at the front door. When he saw Lucy and Kohta approaching from the road, he sighed with great relief. "It's okay!" he shouted to everyone. "Lucy and Master Kohta have returned safely." Tao rushed to meet them. "Well, did you deal with Bandoh? Is he gone for good?"

"Yes," Lucy stated. "He's not going to bother us ever again."

"What did he want?" Tao asked. "Surely not to kill you, I hope."

"He may have had that in the back of his mind," Kohta replied. "But we got the drop on him and he only asked Lucy what made life worth living for her."

"Such a strange question coming from a hardened soldier," Tao answered as he escorted Lucy and Kohta into spa building. "I thought for sure he was trying to sneak up on you to get his revenge on you. Everyone knows that he's wanted revenge on Lucy since that first encounter."

"I think he understands now that it's impossible to sneak up on me," Lucy stated, "…especially in my own home. If he so much as sets foot on this island again, he's going to wish he'd stayed with Calidor. Now where are Mamoru and Yuki?"

"They are with Mayu, Nana, Yuka, Rayden, Myra, Sen, and Li Mei in the living room," Tao replied.

Lucy and Kohta headed to the living room through the old lobby of the spa. Finding everyone present in the living room, a relieved look crossed Lucy's face, especially when she saw Mamoru and Yuki in their playpen.

"Are we safe from Bandoh now?" Mayu asked.

"Yes," Kohta declared. "He will not be bothering us again."

"Did you kill him?" Nana asked.

"No," Lucy said firmly. "I gave him one last chance to leave us alone."

"What did he want?" Li Mei asked.

"He wanted revenge on me," Lucy stated, "but it was not his only motivation. He also wanted to ask me a question. I think that question may have overridden his revenge impulse because we caught him in the sacred grove unconscious. I would have ripped him apart for even being there, but I didn't want to shed his vile blood in that holy place and Kohta urged restraint. He wanted to know why Bandoh had returned after all his promises."

"So what did he want?" Myra asked.

"Something very strange," Lucy answered, "it may be why I didn't slaughter him. When he realized he couldn't do anything against me, he asked what made life worth living for me."

"A strange question indeed," Rayden commented. "But having once been a dark soul like him, I can understand his question. He cannot fathom why you fight so passionately for those you love and cherish after all the bad things that have happened to you. Fighting for something good is an alien concept to him, but apparently one that is starting to appeal to him; otherwise he would have never asked the question. It sounds like he's searching for a better way to live."

"That's what I thought," Kohta said. "He admitted he was a lost soul not knowing where to go or what makes life worth living. But he's still firmly attached to his hate and rage. He's still an unbalanced dark soul that is dangerous to be around. We told him how to break the dark chains that bind him and urged him to walk a new path that doesn't lead to destruction."

"But I doubt that he'll do as we told him," Lucy stated. "He's still fighting with his own dark heart and until he comes to term with it, he'll be a danger to anyone he comes across."

"Will he come back?" Mayu asked.

"I doubt it," Kohta stated. "Lucy made it clear to him in no uncertain terms that if he ever came back to Hokkaido, he's a dead man."

"Can you sense his presence, Lucy?" Sen asked.

"Yes," Lucy stated. "He's moving west along the road now away from us at a fair pace. It seems he may have found a car that still works. I gave him until tomorrow to get off the island, which will be more than enough time if he keeps up the pace he's moving now."

"So is the alert over?" Tao asked.

"Yes," Lucy replied. "We're safe again for the time being and can relax."

"Thank god," Yuka said with relief. "I got very paranoid when you told us to come back here and lock down. I remember the last time we were in such a position. It wasn't a good day for any of us."

"No it wasn't," Kohta said, putting a caring arm around Yuka. "But we survived and are making a new life in this new world. It's okay to remember the old times so that we don't make the same mistakes, but we can't dwell on the past because it will reopen old wounds that don't need to be reopened. Leave the past buried and look forward to the brighter future we're making right now."

"Is it truly a brighter future?" Yuka asked bluntly. "We have managed to live peacefully here since for the last ten months. But what about the rest of the world; do they have the peace we do? I think not. There are still many people who hate and despise you, Lucy, and your kind because of what happened; and many more are dying because of them. How can you not pay attention to the rest of the world?"

"But we do pay attention to them," Kohta stated. "Even as we speak, peace is settling on the nations as they work through their problems. We know that we will not eliminate all hate and war from the planet. That's just a pipe dream. But we can act as a wet blanket to curb the violence that springs up. The more our people work with the humans peacefully, the more they will trust us. We cannot change the world all at once, but one person at a time. That's the way it works. It's just going to take time. What we went through was the birth of a new age, the age of the Diclonius. Instead of being conquerors of humanity, we chose to be partners with humanity so that all of us may benefit from the diclonius power. Had someone like Kakuzawa, Bandoh, or even Yoshitora taken control, the world would have been burnt to a cinder and all life extinguished. You know I speak the truth about this."

"I know you do," Yuka admitted. "Being a pawn of that monster showed me what could have happened. I guess I'm just impatient. I want things to go back the way they were when no one was trying to kill us."

"That will never happen," Lucy stated. "The old world is gone and this new world has taken its place. This is the way things are now. But don't give up on your hope for a life where no one is trying to kill you. It will come in time. We just have to clean up the mess first and that tends to be a challenging task when the whole planet was affected."

"She's right, Yuka," Myra intruded. "In all wars, the end of it tends to be chaotic as the rebuilding begins. Scattered elements of the old order have to be expunged before true peace can come. As long as Calidor's minions in the human population continue to try to exterminate the diclonius, the peace will not be lasting. I understand your concerns. We have live for ten months in relative safety in this place surrounded by friends and family. But the world beyond is not seeing this peace. You want our peace to extend to them, don't you?"

"Yes," Yuka replied. "I do. I miss going to the grocery store or the mall and looking at the things for sale there. I miss doing all the things we did before the world burned."

"And we will do those things again," Tao declared, "You must be patient. Rebuilding a civilization from the ground up isn't an overnight thing. It takes time."

"I think I know what Yuka's getting at," Kohta stated. "She wants a semblance of normalcy to return. Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes," Yuka answered in a strained tone. "But I know things can never go back the way they were. It's just not possible. Still, I miss those days." A tear rose in her eye and she wiped it away. "Forgive me for complaining. I should have known better."

"It's okay," Kohta replied. "It wouldn't be the same if you didn't complain once in a while. It's just who you are."

Yuka punched Kohta in the arm. "That's mean," she chided. "You shouldn't talk like that about me."

"But it's true," Kohta replied with good humor. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

A smile crossed Yuka's face. "Thank you, Kohta."

Kohta briefly hugged her and replied, "You're welcome, Yuka. What are friends and cousins for?"

"Indeed," Yuka stated as she glanced at the clock on the wall, seeing it approaching 6 PM. "Looks like I need to get supper started."

"I'll help," Rayden volunteered, following Yuka into the kitchen.

Lucy looked out of the huge glass wall that formed one side of the living room, seeing the sun setting over the lake beyond. "What a day," she murmured, sitting down on the sofa. "I wonder if we will ever see true peace." Reaching out with her vectors, she gently picked up little Mamoru and Yuki and brought them to her. Cradling them in her arms, she smiled as she looked down into their innocent faces. Kohta sat down beside her as everyone else dispersed. "You know something, Kohta," she said, "…whenever I look into Mamoru's and Yuki's faces, I feel this is what makes my life truly worth living. For the first time in my life, I actually created life and not destroy it. They are precious to me." She squeezed them gently and kissed each on the forehead.

"I know what you mean," Kohta stated. "I'll move heaven and earth to make sure they are safe from all darkness and harm." He leaned over and kissed Lucy on the lips. "And that goes double for you, Lucy. You and these children are my reason for living. I love you."

"I love you too," Lucy replied. Suddenly, she felt a shadow move through her diclonius telepathy that caused her face to fall. The twins started crying without warning. Kohta felt it too. "Oh no," Lucy groaned. "Not again."

Kohta jumped to his feet as he saw two figures three-and-a-half meter tall materialize just outside the living room window. When the figures solidified, Admiral Prometheus and Ozzymandias from the 4th Fleet of Sharindar stood outside the living room looking in with grim expressions on their faces. Prometheus called out, "We need to talk."

The End?

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A/N: I'd like to thank all of you who have been patient with me as I wrote this epic tale. Your feedback was most helpful and welcome. I purposely chose to end this chapter of Lucy's life in the same manner the series ended, leaving it open for further adventures. I encourage anyone who feels up to the challenge to continue this story from here if they wish. Maybe at some future date I will pick up the pen again and plot Lucy and Kohta's path, maybe even into the stars. But for now, I must be content to leave them as they are having found at least a period of peace. This is my Christmas present to all of you: the end of the Requiem. Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

Beowulf Caverias


	48. Chapter 48: Author's Final Note

Author's Final Note on the Requiem of Annihilation

For those of you who enjoyed Requiem, I am very happy you did and you shouldn't let what I'm about to share trouble you. It is meant for those critics who have repeatedly bashed my work without giving any thoughts on how to fix it; a rebuttal if you will. It's not aimed at those of you who enjoyed my story, even though I may have taken you in directions that surprised you. But I think everyone should know that I never read the Elfen Lied Manga. I only saw the series, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Yet some of my readers, particularly HK22 here recently, thought I had desecrated the Elfen Lied cannon with my ending by bringing in new twists that apparently departed from what they thought was a sacred cannon of Elfen Lied. I make no apologies for what I wrote or the way I ended it. I do apologize though for taking so long to do it. As a student in a university, many times my schoolwork interfered with my creation of this tale. Stephen King said in an interview some time back about one of his books that didn't make the critic's cut that he wrote what he wanted to and if they didn't like it, they didn't have to read or buy it. It didn't matter to him. I see the same thing here. Requiem is my creation based on the series. The series is the foundation, not the structure itself and never was meant to be. When one constructs a house or story, they start with a foundation and build on it, sometimes changing the plan in the process of building and going in directions others think is stupid or childish. Requiem is no different. Using the foundation of Elfen Lied, which is about the darkest hate, pain, jealousy, social injustice, inequality, and violent bloody retribution, I constructed my tale of the diclonius apocalypse hinted at in the series. Yes, I don't deny using the dark core I just pointed out. It is there, but there is also a subtle element of humanity that counters the dark core in the series; the element of love. It's not just the sad reality of hate, blood, and violence against the diclonius that creates the supposed mystical cannon of Elfen Lied. It's about how the love of one boy, Kohta, redeems Lucy's humanity. That is what I saw in the series. I will admit that I didn't care for the ending in Episode 13, which is what sparked me to create this epic. But I believe that I followed the base of Elfen Lied cannon regardless of what others may think. My story about Lucy and Kohta picks up where the series left off. I set the stage and watched as the characters evolved beyond what is seen in the series. The story gained a life of its own, evolving as it grew. As a soul is born into the world and grows, so did my story about Lucy and Kohta after the end of the series. As they grew, the story grew, moving beyond what some believe is the sacred cannon I spoke of earlier. Just because I integrated some points and things into the tale that may have caused the readers to question my sanity doesn't mean that it violates the cannon.

Some of you believe that by dropping in a dragon, an elemental or two, or even an alien race near the end that I went so far off base that it was the height of childish stupidity and dribble. These characters I used are just characters that may have eventually become part of the cannon had the writers of the sacred Elfen Lied cannon taken that route. Maybe they did and I didn't know it because as I mentioned, I never read the manga. Moreover, they are bit players at the end meant to set up a continuation of the story later, as I mentioned in the author's note at the end of the last chapter. It does not negate from the story's core. It's not stupid childish dribble to end the tale the way I did. What would have been stupid is for me to have ended it with a disneyish "and they lived happily ever after." That would have been a violation of the core for me and I didn't take that route. Or maybe I should have let Calidor win and destroy all life, or have him defeated, but Lucy loses Kohta and the rest of her family and friends in the battle? In each case, I didn't see that a realistic depiction of what could happen under those circumstances. Just because Lucy wins the fight with Calidor and saves the planet from extinction doesn't mean she has overthrown all who hate and despise her and her kind. Having such a complete banishment of hate for Lucy and her people just wasn't logical or feasible. Some rogue elements had to remain in the aftermath of the apocalypse and they had to be part of the ongoing story too. So instead of taking the easy way out and using the other ways I mentioned, I forged a new path for Lucy and Kohta; one that offered a strange new world after the apocalypse to them where things long taken as belonging in myth, fairy tales, and video games ooze into the open as the world sought to restructure itself. The alien factor at the end should not have been a surprise with the existence of the Nexus revealed along with the source of the diclonius fury, Calidor being an interdimensional being. Calidor was an alien from another dimension. It's no getting around that. That behooves the possibility that other intelligent alien life may exist not just in the other dimensions, but in this one as well; a possibility that I used at the end as merely a device to set up the next stage of evolution for my Lucy and my Kohta. For that is what they are at this point, they are products of my imagination. Moreover, the myths and urban legends of aliens making deal with the governments add to this realism. Would the critics have been less venomous in their thrashing of the final chapters had I used angels and demons instead of aliens? Only they can answer that question, but I tend to suspect no. All I can say is that if the critics were so upset with dragons, elementals, and aliens coming into this, they should have walked away from the story the moment I revealed the Nexus, where all possibilities are possible, including the one with dragons and aliens.

I didn't write this with the intention of making it a Final Fantasy crossover, as some of my critics have suggested. I wrote it as I saw it. I suspect the final battle between Lucy, Kohta, and Calidor may have sparked at least part of this incorrect assumption. So let me give you a little background on the swords they used. The sword of the Collective wielded by Lucy and Mamoru's sword given to Kohta are not swords in the regular sense that you would see in Final Fantasy or any other game, movie, or series. These swords are manifestations of the Collective's power. Each sword is comprised of the collective vectors of ever deceased diclonius soul who went to Izanami. They are a super-concentrated vector form that channels the power of millions of vectors into a single spot; a vector form only Lucy as the true Queen and Kohta as the true King could access or use. That's the power that decimated Calidor's Castle Neilfheim. The use of those swords was a device not meant to mirror anything shown in Final Fantasy. If I wanted to do a Final Fantasy fanfic, I would have done it using the Final Fantasy characters, not Elfen Lied characters.

The Requiem is based on the series and the corruption it detailed, but it is not the series. It is an epic unto itself and I have no regrets how I wrote it or how I ended it. I'm grieved though by some of the critical and right down demeaning comments made by those critics. I've always been one to accept constructive criticism. But what I saw with the last set of reviews, I saw a fervent hostility that bordered on fanaticism. With those final chapters, I had ruptured their view of the world and desecrated the supposed cannon of Elfen Lied. I haven't seen that kind of venom since I first started the story when a critic called the Peacebringer ripped my initial attempt of an Elfen Lied sequel to shreds without giving me a single pointer on how to make it right. That is what I saw with the last five reviews from HK22. I don't really care what you think or who you even are. This is my story and I wrote it the way I want to. You didn't have to read it and you didn't have to be so vicious in your comments. In one review, you admitted that you didn't read the chapter, yet you went ahead and ripped it to shreds. What does that say about you? I see it as you having an ax to grind because I demolished your precious cannon. You really should have a more open mind. Just because something doesn't go the way you want it to doesn't mean it's worthy of destruction. It's not meant to be taken so seriously and you should not let your feelings about Elfen Lied drive you so intensely. Remember the story. It's that kind of fanaticism that caused the problems with the diclonius to begin with. Hate only begets hate as blood begets blood. I wrote Requiem as a way to show the fallacy of such bigotry and hate and how even someone like Lucy can change her fate to a better one. Let go of it and just enjoy a fabulous tale, whether regardless of whether I wrote it or someone else. Have some fun and get lost in the story. That's why I wrote it; to allow the reader to become immersed in the tale so he or she could enjoy it. I didn't care about sacred cannons of manga or anime. I was having fun expanding the world in new exciting ways. Everyone should try it some time.

Well, that concludes my final comments about the Requiem. I realize that some of you will read this and scoff at it, saying all manner of mean things about what I said because I dared to cross an imaginary line I didn't know existed. They may say I'm ranting, saying anything to justify my sin against the cannon. They may even go online and review this little discussion, railing against it just as they did with other pieces of my work. All I can say to those critics is rail on. Your venomous comments are not important or worthy of my time. The story is finished and I have put the pen down for now for Elfen Lied. Like it or lump it, it makes no difference to me. I'm sure I'm not the first who has felt such venom among the fanfiction writers on this site and I'm sure I'll not be the last.

But to those of you who enjoyed my story, I first apologize for the somewhat sharp comments I made about my critics. I had to make one last statement to set the record straight about my intentions and feelings toward this tale. Then I would like to say I enjoyed sharing this epic with you and reading your gracious comments. Some of those comments were very helpful too and assisted in the direction of the story. Thank you, those of you who replied as I asked with honest, but kind reviews and constructive suggestions for making the story better. Thank you all, and remember when someone reads your work and rips it to pieces without any remorse or input on how to make it better, don't be put off by it. Such critics aren't worthy of your attention. Shove them away and fight the good fight to write the best story you know how. For every critic who gives you a bad review, I'd bet there are ten who love it. So don't sweat it. With this, I close the cover the Requiem for now. Maybe at some future time, I will pick up the pen and course Lucy's and Kohta's path again the way I want to and not according to some imaginary cannon. Farewell.

Beowulf Caverias


End file.
